This Tuesday at Eden Gardens, a crucial IPL showdown is on the cards as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) take on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a battle that could reshape the top of the points table. With both teams eyeing the leadership position, the match promises to be a contest of KKR’s strategic bowling against RR’s formidable batting lineup.
The Rajasthan Royals currently lead the pack with 10 points, but a victory for KKR will vault them to the top, thanks to their superior net run rate among the ten teams. RR’s batting strength this season has been notable, with Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, and Shimron Hetmyer consistently delivering powerful performances. However, the team has been seeking more substantial contributions from other Indian batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel, who have yet to make a significant impact this IPL season. The potential return of Jos Buttler, who sat out the previous game due to a minor injury, could provide a significant boost for this critical encounter.
KKR’s bowling attack is being led by Sunil Narine, whose performances for over a decade now, have been pivotal in the team's successes, particularly noted during their championship runs in 2012 and 2014 under Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy. Narine’s recent form, enhanced by Gambhir's return as mentor, has reignited KKR’s title aspirations. Despite not capturing a large tally of wickets, Narine’s economical bowling, highlighted by his boundary-free overs, has been crucial. His spells at home - 1/19 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and 1/17 against the Lucknow Super Giants played significant roles in KKR’s victories, particularly evident during their eight-wicket win over LSG where Narine's tight bowling restricted the opposition to 161/7.
The matchup against RR will see Narine’s tactical bowling against a lineup where key batters in Samson, Parag and Hetmyer have been striking at 155+ this season. Narine's own batting has also been impressive, boasting a strike rate of 183.51 and averaging over 33, adding a vital layer to his role within the team. Alongside him, Mitchell Starc has returned to form, as shown by his 3/28 performance against LSG, which included two critical wickets in the final over.
The dynamics of this high-stakes game will likely revolve around the interaction between KKR’s strong bowling lineup and RR’s aggressive batting approach. One potential weak link for KKR could be the form of their captain, Shreyas Iyer, who has appeared uncertain against both pace and spin, despite scoring an unbeaten 38 in their last game.
KKR’s batting strategy this season has depended significantly on dynamic starts from Phil Salt and Narine and powerful finishes from Andre Russell. However, the lower order, including Rinku Singh and without the injured vice-captain Nitish Rana, has not been tested extensively, which could be crucial if RR’s bowlers make early breakthroughs.
RR boasts a robust bowling squad with Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Keshav Maharaj, and they are hopeful that Ravichandran Ashwin, alongside Jos Buttler, returns to the lineup after missing the last game.
Team News
Jos Buttler and R Ashwin, who missed the game against Punjab Kings due to niggles, could return to the starting lineup. There has, however, been no update on Sandeep Sharma, who has missed the last 3 matches for the Royals. For KKR, vice-captain Nitish Rana continues to be on the sidelines due to injury and the Knight Riders will most likely go in with the same XI.
Head-to-Head record
It's always been a close battle between these two sides, who have locked horns 28 times in the past. KKR lead the record but only just, winning 14 of the 28 encounters, with RR emerging victorious in 13 of them. 1 game was a no result.
Weather Report
It's going to be a hot and humid day in Kolkata on Tuesday, with temperatures soaring to as much as 39°C. While the evening will be slightly cooler, there's a 10% chance of rain at the Eden Gardens.
Probable XIs
KKR Probable XI: Philip Salt(wk), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy (Impact sub: Rinku Singh)
RR Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(wk/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Keshav Maharaj, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Sen, Yuzvendra Chahal (Impact sub: R Ashwin)
Full squads
Kolkata Knight Riders: Philip Salt(w), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Suyash Sharma, Manish Pandey, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sakib Hussain, Harshit Rana, Dushmantha Chameera, Srikar Bharat, Nitish Rana, Chetan Sakariya, Sherfane Rutherford, Allah Ghazanfar
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(w/c), Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Sen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Keshav Maharaj, Rovman Powell, Tanush Kotian, Shubham Dubey, Navdeep Saini, Nandre Burger, Abid Mushtaq, Sandeep Sharma, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Donovan Ferreira, Kunal Singh Rathore
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(With PTI inputs)
