A battle of survival! Two most dramatic teams are set to lock horns in a clash which will pave a strong road for playoffs’ berth. Dinesh Karthik‘s Kolkata Knight Riders found their feet in the last game in a scintillating way while Ajinkya Rahane‘s Rajasthan Royals are riding on the brilliance of Jos Buttler and the bowling department. All in all, it is going to be one heck of a clash for the league stage.
Kolkata Knight Riders – Looks to carry impetus
Just when things looked like going out of the control, the stunning piece of performance against Kings XI Punjab in has brought back the much-needed confidence in the team. Though the bowling unit was not up to the mark, Dinesh Karthik was quite happy with the side and most probably, they would like to carry the same force against formidable Rajasthan Royals.
Thankfully, Kolkata Knight Riders‘ batting performance in their previous encounter wasn’t carried by a single, it was a collective team effort. If any two of those batsmen carry the same form in the clash against Rajasthan, they would be the happy bunch. The return of form for Lynn and Russell is a huge boost while skipper, Karthik is playing the floater role to the perfect.
The only concern for the team would be the form of Robin Uthappa. He has been a flop of the season but KKR would hope Uthappa make the merry of Eden Gardens conditions. Coming to bowling department, they would be once again relying on the spin department who did the job brilliantly for the team. With spin pitch on offer, the trio, Narine, Piyush and Kuldeep would be licking their lips.
However, fast bowling unit required an immediate attention by the KKR unit as they are not up to the mark throughout the season. The youngster, Prasidh Krishna has been impressive but debutant, Javon Searles has been taken to the cleaners. Despite leaking runs, Karthik would love to carry-on with the winning combination.
Rajasthan Royals – Big guns need to support Jos Buttler in the cause
Jos Buttler has played match-defining knocks since his promotion to open the innings. He broke records on a consistent basis to see his side overcome the dangerous teams in the tourney. As RR gets ready for one more crucial encounter tonight, Jos Buttler would once again be the centre of the attraction.
Though Buttler is in prime form, the likes of Ben Stokes and D’ Arcy Short need to show their class with the bat. Short has been the flop of the season while Ben Stokes is slowly coming into his own with the ball. Sanju Samson played a blinder in the previous encounter and he needs to join the party against KKR by all means.
Coming to bowling department, the form Jofra Archer is playing a meaty role in Rajasthan’s success. Jaydev Unadkat too finding his touch while Dhawal Kulkarni needs to be consistent with his line and lengths. Spinner, Gowtham and Shreyas Gopal are bleeding runs which need an immediate attention by the management.
Another major area of concern for Rajasthan Royals is their fielding lapses. Right from the start of the season, Rahane’s drop of Dhawan to the latest Archer’s drop of Cutting, everything proved costly for Rajasthan and they shouldn’t afford the same with KKR as each individual in their unit can wreak havoc if given chance.
Match Details:
Possible Playing XI:
KKR: Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, two of Kuldeep Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna.
RR: D’Arcy Short, Jos Buttler (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni.
Pitch Report – A high-scoring game is on the cards. Spinners might get a little assistance.
Weather Report – Rain is in the forecast. It might affect the game.
Date & Time – 15th May 2018, 20:00 IST
Venue – Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Live Telecast – Star Sports Network, Jio and Hotstar Premium customers.