Both have had a one-match experience in the ongoing IPL 2020 so far, although the start has been quite contrasting. For Kings XI Punjab, Mayank Agarwal's heroics had guided the team to a brink of an impressive win before Marcus Stoinis pulled things back to force a Super Over where the franchise were eventually undone by a magical three-ball spell from Kagiso Rabada. Royal Challengers Bangalore, on the other hand, started off on an astounding note riding on half-centuries from debutant Devdutt Padikkal and AB de Villiers and a three-wicket burst from Yuzvendra Chahal, to register a 10-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Head-to-head tie: There is statistically nothing to separate the two sides and both have won 12 matches apiece in their 24-match IPL history. However, in 10 meetings were KXIP played as a home team, they narrowly stand ahead with a 5-4 win-loss record. And in their only three meeting away from India, KXIP once again lead 3-1 which includes a victory against RCB in the UAE leg of IPL 2014.
Crucial stats...
- Both had a contrasting start and finish with the bat in their IPL 2020 opener. While RCB scored at 8.8 runs per over in the powerplays, going wicketless for the first time since 2016 in that phase, en route to an opening stand of 90 runs scored in 11 overs, the team had a death-over scoring rate of 9.75 runs per over against SRH. Kings XI started on a dismal note scoring at 5.8 runs per overs in the powerplays and losing three early wickets, but a death-over carnage from Mayank saw them scoring at 13 runs per over with nine boundaries in the final over overs.
- Kings XI were effective in the powerplays, taking three wickets at an ER of 3.8 and a dot-ball percentage of 61. RCB, on the other hand, were effective in the death overs, picking six wickets for 26 runs, although it was against an inexperienced SRH middle and lower order.
- AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli are the sixth and seventh highest run-getter against KXIP with 680 and 632 runs respectively with the former's number looking more ominous - 52.30 average, 160.75 as SR and seven half-centuries.
- KXIP's new-ball pair of Sheldon Cottrell and Mohammed Shami have a good record against the RCB captain, dismissing him five times in T20 cricket between themselves. Against Shami, Kohli scored 40 off 27 while falling thrice, and against the Windies pacer, whom Kohli have only faced in international cricket, the 31-year-old managed 23 off 22 while being dismissed twice. Moreover, according to CricViz, since 2015, Kohli has been more frequently been dismissed by left-arm pacers then by any variety of bowlers in T20 cricket. In the first game in IPL 2020, he was undone by left-armer T Natarajan.
- With the bowl, Umhes Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal has a good wicket-tally against KXIP. Umesh is the leading wicket-taker against KXIP with 29 scalps at 17.44 while Chahal stands eighth on the list with 19 wickets at 16.00. Although, both have an economy well over seven against KXIP.
