The wait is finally over for the fans as the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) kicks off in style at the historic Wankhede Stadium. Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will square off against each other in the opening fixture. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will play their opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on April 8 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The last time both the teams met here, RCB registered a rather forgettable record of scoring the lowest team total of the tournament – 49 all out.
Meanwhile, this is a reshaped KKR side with Gautam Gambhir leaving the side to join Delhi Daredevils. They have a few experienced stars in their ranks and backs a lot with youngsters.
Moreover, they were struck badly by the injury of speedster Mitchell Starc, who will not take any further part in the tournament.
However, they will like to start on a high note when they face RCB in the opening game on Sunday.
Here is the predicted XI of KKR:
Chris Lynn:
The hard-hitting batsman from Australia Chris Lynn is a nightmare for the bowlers. However, he has been marred by injuries. He has struggled with his shoulder in particular over the years.
Meanwhile, he is now fully fit and is raring to go out in the middle.
Robin Uthappa:
Uthappa has led the KKR batting over the years and will look to continue doing so. He will have to steer the KKR innings and bat till the 20th over if KKR wants to score big.
Relieved from wicket-keeping duties, he will have more time to concentrate on batting.
Shubman Gill:
Member of the World Cup-winning Under-19 side, Gill is currently one of the hot prospects in Indian cricket. He has done immensely well in the U19 format scoring a brilliant hundred against Pakistan in the semifinal of the World Cup.
However, he will be eager to cement his place in the team right in the first match.
Nitish Rana:
The southpaw from Delhi, Nitish Rana has emerged as one of India’s brightest prospect after his stint in 2017 IPL.
Although new to IPL he has already made name for himself scoring 437 runs in 15 innings.
However, Rana will like to replicate his effort and make a mark in KKR.
Dinesh Karthik (C & WK):
The wicketkeeper-batsman will have an added responsibility of leading the side. Since he hit the winning six of the last ball in Sri Lanka, his stock has gone up.
Karthik will want to lead the team by an example and use his experience to full effect.
Andre Russell:
The hard-hitting all-rounder Andre Russell from Windies has done very well for KKR over the years with both bat and ball.
KKR retained him prior to the auctions and now it is his chance to pay back the faith shown in him.
Sunil Narine:
Although Sunil Narine’s effectiveness has seen a sharp fall, he is still a match-winner on his day. However, he was suspended from bowling for illegal action during the Pakistan Super League.
Moreover, he has changed his actions and is raring to go. He is one of the players KKR retained prior to the auctions and will want a superlative effort from him.
Piyush Chawla:
The leg-spinner in the form of Piyush Chawla has tons of experience by his side and has done so far well for KKR. Previously, Chawla has played with Kuldeep at KKR and Uttar Pradesh side and has complimented each other.
With an experience of 129 matches, KKR will want him to be at his best against RCB.
Kuldeep Yadav:
The left-arm wrist spinner has already delivered at the highest stage. With a lot of variation in his armoury, batsmen have found it difficult to pick him.
He along with Chawla needs to play a major role against Virat Kohli led RCB.
Vinay Kumar:
The fast bowler from Karnataka Vinay Kumar has a lot of experience behind his back. Previously, he was a part of title-winning Kolkata team.
Kumar needs to act as a perfect cushion to Mitchell Johnson if they want to contain a star-studded RCB batting line-up.
Mitchell Johnson:
Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson is likely to lead the bowling attack in the absence of Mitchell Starc.
Although Johnson is at the fag end of his career, he can still hurry the batsmen with his raw pace.
With plenty of experience, Johnson will hold the key to KKR’s success in the second fixture of IPL 2018.
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