IPL 2023 match preview: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders

Key match-ups, analysis, form, team news, weather forecast, tickets, TV and streaming information, odds, predictions and more ahead of the latest encounter in the 2023 IPL

What's the match?

Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2023 IPL.

When is it taking place?

The match is scheduled to start at 7.30pm local time (3pm BST) on Wednesday, April 26.

Where is the match being played?

The game will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

Who's got form?

Sitting firmly in mid-table, RCB enter this match eyeing-up a third consecutive win after dispatching Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings in their past two fixtures. A victory could see them leap up from fifth to level with league leaders Chennai Super Kings on ten points.

If RCB have momentum in their favour, then KKR have anything but. A 49-run loss at the hands of CSK handed the Knight Riders their fourth consecutive defeat as they continue to slip down the standings, now sitting eighth with just four points.

^{Faf du Plessis is proving hard to stop with the bat [Sajjad Hussain/Getty Images]}

What's the team news?

Expect RCB to continue to exploit the impact player rule for all its worth. Faf du Plessis and Harshal Patel were only able to make the decisive contributions they did in Bangalore's last victory due to the rule. Du Plessis would have been unable to field due to a rib injury while Patel is unable to grip a bat due to a finger problem. There's no reason to think this ploy will change.

Kolkata fans, meanwhile, will be pleased to hear there are no fresh injury concerns for their side.

What's the key matchup?

An increasingly irresistible force in RCB's top-order, du Plessis will be a key target for the opposition. He has now scored more than 60 in all but two of his appearances in this year's competition. After getting a first-baller at the hands of Trent Boult last time out, expect Virat Kohli to come back with a bang also.

KKR, meanwhile, will look to their middle-order big hitters for inspiration as they attempt to snap their four-game losing streak. Fine performances from Jason Roy (61 off 26) and Rinku Singh (53 not out off 33) in their previous match will give them a level of confidence found wanting in the Knight Riders' top order to date, a fallibility a dangerous RCB attack spearheaded by Mohammed Siraj will also look to exploit.

Head-to-head record 

Matches played: 32

Royal Challengers Bangalore wins: 14

Kolkata Knight Riders wins: 18

What's the weather forecast?

Thundery showers and light winds are expected in Bangalore, with temperatures reaching 27 degrees Celsius.

 ^{KKR are on a four-match losing streak [Dibyangshu Sarkar/Getty Images]}

What are the squads?

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Suyash Prabhudessai, Rajat Patidar (injured, Vijaykumar Vyshak), Dinesh Karthik, Anuj Rawat, Finn Allen, Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, David Willey, Karn Sharma, Mahipal Lomror, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood, Siddarth Kaul, Akash Deep, Reece Topley (injured, replaced by Wayne Parnell), Himanshu Sharma, Will Jacks (injured, replaced by Michael Bracewell), Manoj Bhandage, Rajan Kumar, Avinash Singh, R Sonu Yadav

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (injured), Nitish Rana (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Anukul Roy, Rinku Singh, N Jadadeesan, Vaibhav Arora, Suyash Sharma, David Wiese, Kulwant Khejroliya, Litton Das, Mandeep Singh, Shakib Al Hasan (unavailable), Jason Roy (replacement signing)

What are the possible starting XIs?

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Mahipal Lomror, Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Wayne Parnell, Mohammed Siraj, Vijaykumar Vyshak

Kolkata Knight Riders: Jason Roy, Litton Das, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Mandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy

What are the odds?

RCB head into the fixture favourites at 8/11, while Kolkata have odds of 11/10.

Prediction?

Staring down the barrel of a fifth consecutive loss and facing an RCB side that is only growing in confidence, all the evidence points towards more misery for KKR. Royal Challengers Bangalore win.

Where can I watch the game?

In the UK, Sky Sports have exclusive rights to this year's tournament, with matches available on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket.

Fans in India can watch all the action on Star Sports.

Elsewhere in the world, viewers in Australia can watch the IPL on Fox Sports while in New Zealand, Sky Sport will provide coverage.

Willow TV and Flow Sports will broadcast the tournament in the United States and the Caribbean, respectively.

Fans in MENA can catch the action on beIN Sports while in South Africa, SuperSport have the rights.

If you are watching from the Middle East, you'll be able to view the game on Times Internet.

People from Bangladesh can watch the game on Gazi TV.