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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) face a daunting task as they prepare to take on the dominant Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) match on April 21. RCB’s hopes of securing their maiden IPL title have been severely dented by a string of six losses in seven matches.

With five consecutive defeats, RCB now find themselves at the bottom of the standings and must win their remaining seven games to keep their playoff aspirations alive. The team’s struggles have been primarily attributed to their weak bowling attack and heavy reliance on the batting prowess of Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Dinesh Karthik.

“From a bowling perspective, we don’t have as many weapons. So, unfortunately, it comes down to the batters to make sure that we use our form and our confidence. The scores that we put on the board are probably going to be the only way we are going to get into the competition,” admitted RCB skipper Du Plessis.

The team’s bowlers will undoubtedly be haunted by the memory of conceding the IPL’s record total of 287/3 to Sunrisers Hyderabad in their previous match. RCB may consider bringing back their most expensive buy this season, Alzarri Joseph, to bolster their bowling alongside Mohammed Siraj, who was rested against SRH. Joseph has taken only one wicket in three appearances for RCB while conceding runs at an alarming rate of 11.89 per over.

Glenn Maxwell’s spin could also be a valuable asset, but the struggling Australian all-rounder, who withdrew from the SRH game citing “mental fatigue,” is also battling a hip strain that may keep him out of action for some time.

RCB’s batting has been heavily reliant on their two openers, Kohli and Du Plessis, and Karthik, while the rest of the players have failed to deliver. Kohli remains the leading run-scorer with 361 runs at an average of 72.20, but his middle-over strike rate of 135 has been a concern. The star Indian batter has often been seen slowing down against spinners in the crucial 7-15th over phase after getting a start in the power play.

Du Plessis has been their next best batter with 232 runs, but it’s seasoned wicketkeeper-batter Karthik who has been phenomenal in his final IPL season. The veteran has amassed 226 runs at a strike rate of over 205, and in the monstrous chase against SRH, it was his 35-ball 83 that gave RCB hope of scripting an improbable win before they fell short by 25 runs.

The trio will once again have to play a key role against the likes of Sunil Narine, Mitchell Starc, and Harshit Rana. KKR will also be coming off a defeat to Rajasthan Royals in a last-ball finish. With one match less played than RCB, KKR will be eager to return to winning ways and inch closer to the playoffs by taking their tally to 10 points at the midway stage.

The biggest threat for RCB will be Narine, not just with the ball but also with the bat at the top of the order. Narine, who scored his maiden T20 century in their last match against RR, is KKR’s leading run-getter this season with 276 runs at an incredible strike rate of over 187. The next best KKR batter is his opening partner Phil Salt, who has struck at a rate of over 151. The pair’s splendid form means that the likes of Rinku Singh and Andre Russell have got limited opportunities.

With a maiden fifty to his name, youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi has impressed with his batting. RCB will have to target the KKR top-three to expose their batting and give themselves some chance.

With the city in the grip of an extreme heat wave, the temperature is expected to soar to 41 degrees Celsius on Sunday.