Both KKR and RCB won a game against each other in the round-robin league stage. However, Kolkata won a one-sided affair in the most recent meeting between the two teams and they were full of confidence going into the elimination match. The batters failed to cope with the pitch, thus the eliminator was a low-scoring affair. Kolkata won the match in the last over as Shakib Al Hasan scored the winning run for his team. Kolkata Knight Riders will play Delhi Capitals in qualifier 2 on Wednesday (October 13) for a spot in the final. Match Report: KKR vs. RCB       Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli chose to bat first against Kolkata Knight Riders in the eliminator match on Monday (October 11) at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah.  Bangalore’s Innings Batted first, Royal Challengers Bangalore barely managed to score 138/7 in their allotted 20 overs. They got off to a good start in the innings, scoring 49 runs in the first five overs. Captain Virat Kohli and new sensation Devdutt Padikkal, started cautiously but were eager to rotate the strike to put pressure on the bowlers. Read Mahmudullah out of Bangladesh’s first warm-up match They were doing well until Kolkata got their first breakthrough with a wide outside off delivery to Padikkal (21) from Kiwi pacer Lockie Ferguson. The left-handed batsman failed to connect with the ball and was clean bowled in the first delivery of the sixth over. Losing opener Padikkal (21) put the Bangalore innings under strain, as they only managed to score 21 runs in the following five overs and lost Srikar Bharat's wicket. Bangalore had 70 runs on board for the cost of two wickets at that stage. The Bangalore campaign was hoping that skipper Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and AB de Villiers would lead the team to a competitive score. Though neither of the players ignited in the death overs and Bangalore were forced to settle for a low total to defend.  Also read: Junaid Siddique to play in T10 League Virat Kohli played a 39 off 33 balls knock before getting clean bowled by Sunil Narine in the 13th over. It was a fruitful day for Narine, who rattled Bangalore’s top and middle orders with some tight bowling and later played a crucial part with the bat. Narine finished his spell with 4-0-21-4. Apart from him, Ferguson took 2 wickets and Shakib Al Hasan had an economical spell as well.  Kolkata’s Innings  Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer got Kolkata off to a strong start with a 41-run opening partnership in pursuit of a modest score. The most successful bowler in IPL 2021, Harshal Patel interrupted their momentum by taking the first wicket in the sixth over. He removed Kolkata’s top scorer Shubman Gill (29) in an off-cutter slower delivery. Kolkata lost inform Rahul Tripathi in the following over.   Kolkata's batsmen had battled to get the scoreboard moving due to the slow nature of the pitch. Kolkata's innings were interrupted due to losing wickets at regular intervals, and the fate of the match was swinging both ways.  Read: IPL 2021: Who will play whom in the playoffs? Nitesh Rana (23) and Sunil Narine (26) batted well in the middle of the innings to keep Kolkata in the run chase. Bangalore's campaign looked positive to clinch the contest when Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik went back to the pavilion in the 18th over. However, Shakib Al Hasan and captain Eoin Morgan’s patient approach eased Kolkata’s victory with two balls to spare. Shakib took the winning run in the fourth ball of the final over. Siraj, Patel, and Chahal bagged two wickets each for Royal Challengers Bangalore.  Player of the Match All-rounder Sunil Narine was named the best player of the IPL 2021 eliminator match for his outstanding performance with the ball. Read Bangladesh jersey for T20 World Cup revealed  Way Forward Kolkata Knight Riders had been struggling before the postponement of the Indian Premier League last May. They came back strong when the competition resumed in September in the United Arab Emirates. The Kolkata team management has found their ideal formation with the addition of Shakib Al Hasan to the playing XI. However, sources indicate that the ace all-rounder is unlikely to play in the second qualifying match given his commitment to the Bangladesh national team. Andre Russell may replace Shakib Al Hasan and the West Indian knows what it takes to win a big match. Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, and the openers did well in the eliminator match. They would play vital roles in the qualifier 2 encounter against Delhi Capitals in Sharjah.   Read Tigers start training in UAE Monday

Virat Kohli will step down as captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore at the end of this season's Indian Premier League. Kohli had already announced he will relinquish the captaincy of India in the Twenty20 format after the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in October and November. “(I’ve) spoken to the squad this evening, before the second leg of the tournament starts, to inform everyone that this is going to be my last leg in the IPL as captain of our city,” Kohli said in a video message posted on RCB’s Twitter account on Sunday. Also read: Virat Kohli to step down as India's T20 skipper “(This was) something that was on my mind for a while … to manage my workload which has been immense over the last so many years. I want to continue to be committed to the responsibilities that I’m fulfilling, and I felt I needed the space to refresh, to regroup and be absolutely clear in how I want to move forward.” Kohli has led Bangalore since 2013 but has not yet won the world's most lucrative T20 league. Kohli said he will continue with Bangalore as a player. “I’ve made it clear to the management that, you know, I can’t think of me being in any other team than RCB,” he said. “That has been my commitment from Day 1 (and) I will continue to be RCB player till I play my last game in the IPL.” Also read: IPL 2021: Those who are at the Top Before the Tournament Resume Bangalore is currently third after winning five of its seven games in India before the IPL was suspended in May due to coronavirus. The league resumed in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday with Chennai Super Kings beating defending champions Mumbai Indians by 20 runs. Bangalore plays Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday.

The IPL of the 2021 season kicked off on April 9th. The final match of the IPL 2021 will be played on May 30 at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad after a month and a half of the competition. Mumbai Indians have won the last two editions of the IPL and they are again a strong contender for the title this year. However, other teams are determined to dethrone Mumbai and win the IPL but which team has more chance to win the trophy? In this article, we discussed who will win the IPL 2021? The favorites, underdogs, and outsiders. Who are the favorites to win the IPL 2021? Mumbai Indians Mumbai Indians are now the most confident team in the league after winning the previous two IPL tournaments.So they were not seen to be very active in this year’s IPL auction. Mumbai have complete trust in their IPL-winning squad in the search for a hat-trick title. There are a handful of match-winning players in the squad who can decide the outcome of a match on their own. Top five players of Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain, batsman), Kieron Pollard (all-rounder), Hardik Pandya (all-rounder), Trent Bolt (pacer), Jasprit Bumrah (pacer) Kolkata Knight Riders Kolkata Knight Riders have not won an IPL tournament since 2014. So, Kolkata have put together a very strong team for the 2021 season in order to reclaim the title.After a three-year absence, Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan is back in the Kolkata squad this season. The squad also has a number of spinners. As a result, Kolkata Knight Riders are the strongest spin-reliant team in this year's IPL. Ian Morgan-led Kolkata Knight Riders have a genuine chance to win the IPL 2021 if they can stay consistent in the final part of the season. Top five players of Kolkata Knight Riders: Ian Morgan (captain, batsman), Andre Russell (all-rounder), Shakib Al Hasan (all-rounder), Sunil Narine (all-rounder), Pat Cummins (pacer) Read: BAN vs SL Cricket Test series 2021: Expected personal milestones to achieve Royal Challengers Bangalore  Every year, Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore enter the IPL as a tournament favorite. However, they are yet to win an IPL tournament. As always, Bangalore have put together a formidable squad for the 14th edition of the IPL. Australia's Glenn Maxwell has been added to their squad for the 2021 IPL campaign. In addition, the squad contains a number of star cricketers. Let's see if team Bangalore can change its IPL fortune this time! Top five players of Royal Challengers Bangalore: ViratKohli (captain, batsman), Glenn Maxwell (all-rounder), AB de Villiers (batsman), Kyle Jamieson (pacer), YuzvendraChahal (spinner) Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: Analysis of Bangladesh’s Test Squad for Sri Lanka Series Sunrisers Hyderabad Sunrisers Hyderabad haven't won the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2016. Sunrisers Hyderabad have been led by Australian David Warner for the past few years and they have consistently made it to the knockout stages of the tournament. Sunrisers have some great t20 format players. As a result, they are one of the favorites of this year's tournament like every time. Top five players of Royal Challengers Hyderabad: David Warner (captain, batsman), Rashid Khan (spinner), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (pacer), Jonny Bairstow (wicket-keeper), Kane Williamson (batsman)  Who are the underdogs to win the IPL 2021? Chennai Super Kings Chennai Super Kings have always been considered a favorite, but they are labeled underdogs this season. Dhoni's team has a number of world-class cricketers, but most of them are over 30 years old. With such a team, the odds of winning the IPL are slightly lower than with other teams. So it would not be right to expect much from team Chennai this time. Top five players of Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (captain, wicket-keeper), Faf du Plessis (batsman), Suresh Raina (batsman), Moeen Ali (all-rounder), Sam Curran (all-rounder) Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: Five Things Bangladesh Cricket Team Must Do To win the Test Series in Sri Lanka Delhi Capitals Many people are betting on Delhi Capitals to win the 14th edition of the IPL since they were runner-up in the previous edition. While Delhi have some talented players, their lack of experience may lead them to fall behind other teams. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will take over as captain in place of the injured ShreyasIyer. It will be interesting to see how far Delhi will go under his leadership. Top five players of Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (captain, wicket-keeper), ShikharDhawan (batsman), Marcus Stoinis (all-rounder), Tom Curran (all-rounder), Steve Smith (batsman)  Who are the outsiders to win the IPL 2021?  Rajasthan Royals Rajasthan Royals have a number of outstanding T20 cricketers, among them is South African all-rounder Chris Morris. He was the most expensive player in the 2021 IPL auction. Rajasthan paid $ 2.3 million for Morris at auction. Rajasthan is predicted to do well in this year's IPL under the leadership of CaptainSanju Samson. However, they are currently regarded as one of the outsiders to win the trophy. Top five players of Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (captain, batsman), Chris Morris (all-rounder), Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Ben Stokes (all-rounder), Mustafizur Rahman (pacer) Read: T20 World Cup 2021: Five Things the Bangladesh Team Needs To Address Before the World T20 2021 Punjab Kings PreityZinta's team will compete in the IPL 14 under the new name Punjab Kings this year. Although the squad has some talented players, it is not particularly strong in comparison to other teams. As a result, dreaming of winning the championship right now would be wrong. Punjab will have to maintain continuity at the league level in order to secure a spot in the top four of the points table. Top five players of Punjab Kings: KL Rahul (captain, wicket-keeper), Riley Meredith (pacer), Jhye Richardson (all-rounder), Chris Gayle (batsman), Mohammad Shami (pacer) Verdict We have analyzed the strengths of the teams to identify who will win the IPL 2021? And also to find out the favorites, underdogs, and outsiders of the tournament. After assessing each team's strengths, it is apparent that the Mumbai Indians are once again the hot favorite. In addition, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Sunrisers Hyderabad all have an equal chance of winning the IPL in 2021. However, teams in good form at the end of the tournament would have a great chance of winning the trophy. Overall, we expect the tournament's best team will win the trophy. Read: How to Become a Cricketer in Bangladesh: An Overall Guideline

Indian cricket team captain, Virat Kohli, who is set to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in another season of the Indian Premeir League (IPL) which will take place in UAE from September 19, said he was pretty scared to take up the bat after a long gap of five months.