IPL 2018: Kolkata Knight Riders opt to bowl vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field against Royal Challengers Bangalore here at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday. (Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2018 - highlights)

The match is crucial for Virat Kohli & Co, who are languishing at the sixth spot in the points table. Kolkata Knight Riders, who lost their previous two games and are just two places above the hosts and they need to win to get back the winning momentum. (Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, live cricket score)

The home side, however, has a lot more to worry about as its batting has largely depended on AB de Villiers, who is out of the squad due to viral fever. Without the South African’s performance, the Bangalore side wouldn’t have been able to win even the two games they have won. Skipper Kohli and Quinton de Kock will have to take extra responsibility at the top.

Besides the batting, their death bowling has been atrocious too. They let a game they had in their grasp slip away from them the last time they played here as Chennai Super Kings recovered miraculously to beat them with exuberant batting in the death overs.

The focus will mostly be on the spinners on this spin-friendly wicket as both sides have three quality tweakers in their ranks.

While KKR have named an unchanged squad, RCB have gone in with four changes --- paceman Tim Southee for AB de Villiers, spinner Murugan Ashwin in for Washington Sundar, opening batsman Manan Vohra in for Pawan Negi while Brendon McCullum has replaced Corey Anderson.