IPL 2017: Match 30th – Rising Pune Supergiant v Kolkata Knight Riders – Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted XI
Apr 26, 2017 at 5:10 PM
Kolkata Knight Riders will be aiming for the top spot in the points table when they come to clash with the Steve Smith led Rising Pune Supergiant in the Match no. 30th in Pune.
On most occasions, when the upcoming competitor comes fresh from a thrilling win, it is a bad sign. but, KKR unit will be happy instead. The reason being Mumbai Indians. Courtesy to Rising Pune Supergiant, Mumbai finally experienced defeat after six straight wins. This has narrowed the gap for KKR who are currently at the second position.
Previous Encounter:
This the first time the two teams are meeting this season. However, the RPS produced a shoddy performance in the last season when they met Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR earned an easy eight-wicket win over their opposition.
The match, which was affected by unexpected rains, is also very famous for witnessing MS Dhoni play a rare snail-paced knock off eight runs from just 22 balls. After electing to bat first, RPS began to lose their plot quickly, as opener Rahane lost his wicket in the third over to Andre Russell.
Wickets continued to fall later on and eventually, the scoring rate took a hit. Hopes were pinned on Dhoni to revive the inning but it was an off day for him, as RPS finished at 103/6 after the end of 17.4 overs, as umpires called the innings off due to rain.
The target was later revised to just 66 runs required to be chased from nine overs. It looked stiff, as the dampness made the pitch really sluggish and long range hitting seemed very tough. KKR had an ominous start to chase, as they lost Uthappa and Gambhir off the first and the third ball in the opening over. This added some spice to the contest initially but Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan ensured smooth sailing and took their team home.
Talking Points:
Intensity from the KKR players will be the talking point and Gautam Gambhir will be in the spotlight as the skipper. After collapsing for a functional total against RCB in their last encounter, Gambhir fired up his men to go for the win. He had an intense chat with his team in the dressing room and the result was grand, as RCB were bowled out for just 49.
This also brings us to a question – Will Gautam Gambhir pick the same bowling attack or will he make changes in it?
The answer seems no as of now. Kuldeep Yadav, the only spinner picked in the XI, might retain his place and the four-man seam bowling attack will take the field. It has also been revealed that Nathan Coulter-Nile will be rested. Gambhir has stated workload management as the reason for leaving out one of his top bowlers. This directly means Trent Boult will be playing the next game.
The other change which may occur in case the skipper opts to do so will be the inclusion of Shakib al Hasan in place of Colin de Grandhomme. The Kiwi all-rounder has been impressive with the ball which might help him stay in the XI. But, if Gauti seeks more batting support, then Shakib might be in as De Grandhomme has not contributed much with the bat.
Here is the Likely XI:
Sunil Narine, Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Surya Kumar Yadav, Colin de Grandhomme/Shakib al Hasan, Chris Woakes, Trent Boult, Umesh Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav.