IPL 7 preview: Kolkata Knight Riders take on unbeaten Royal Challengers Bangalore

Unbeaten so far, Royal Challengers Bangalore would be eyeing a hat-trick of wins to go to the top of points table even as Kolkata Knight Riders look to shake off their last match's disappointment when the two sides clash against each other in an Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.

The star-studded Bangalore, which boast of some of the most feared Twenty20 batsmen in their line-up, have won both their games so far. (Schedule | Points Table)

The results have come despite the absence of the destructive Chris Gayle, who has been nursing a sore back. He, however, is expected to be fit for Thursday's match.

In his absence, the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Parthiv Patel and AB de Villiers have made quite a statement with their efforts to show that the days of RCB being called a one-man show are over. (Mum reveals Yuvraj's biggest weakness)

A slight concern has been skipper Virat Kohli, who is yet to hit the groove, but given his reputation, the lean patch is not expected to last too long.

Kolkata too have a good line-up at their disposal and it too has fared well. Even though there aren't any big stars to boast of but the likes of Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa have made their presence felt.

However, more would be expected of established players such as skipper Gautam Gambhir and Jacques Kallis.