Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will look break the winning streak of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) when they square off against each other on Saturday (April 14) evening at the historic Eden Gardens.
Meanwhile, Kolkata had a mixed start to this season with one win and one loss from two games. They lost their last match against Chennai Super Kings when Vinay Kumar failed to defend 17 runs off the last over.
They will look to reshape their bowling unit while going into the next fixture.
Moreover, their middle-order is yet to strike, so they will have to keep a close watch on the team combination against a strong Hyderabad-based outfit.
However, it is likely that Kolkata will two changes going into the next game.
Here is the predicted XI of the Knight Riders:
Chris Lynn:
The Australian hard-hitter Chris Lynn is finally getting his form back which is a positive sign for the Knight Riders camp in particular.
In the last match, he scored 22 runs, however, will be eager to contribute more to the team’s cause.
Sunil Narine:
Sunil Narine has done a world of wonder to Kolkata by opening the innings for them. His quickfire cameos are giving KKR a blistering start.
With the ball, he has been economical and will look to continue picking wickets.
Robin Uthappa:
Robin Uthappa is the mainstay of this KKR batting line-up. Batting at No. three, he holds the key to take the team to a challenging total.
So far, he has shown good form with bat and the team management will want more of that from him.
Nitish Rana:
Impressive Nitish Rana has surprised everyone with his medium pace bowling.
Moreover, he is good to be in the middle-order, who can smack the ball and can also rotate the strike.
He will be crucial for KKR’s success in this season.
Dinesh Karthik:
Skipper Dinesh Karthik is a changed person since he has taken over the captaincy role. He is playing responsible cricket and taking the onus on himself in the middle-order.
Also, he has led the team well on the previous two occasions.
Shubman Gill:
The young sensation Shubman Gill is a natural stroke maker and will look to play his normal game on his debut at a big stage.
He did exceptionally well during India’s successful campaign in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year.
Andre Russell:
The Windies all-rounder Andre Russell brought the stage on fire with a fiery knock in the last game. Russell hammered a 36-ball 88 to take Kolkata past 200.
He has also done reasonably well with the ball, however, needs to pick wickets.
Mitchell Johnson:
The speedster Mitchell Johnson will slot in the first XI after fixing a little niggle. KKR will want quick wickets from him against a devasting Hyderabad batting line-up.
Johnson will also be eager to prove himself.
Kuldeep Yadav:
Kuldeep Yadav is a match-winner for the Knight Riders. He has done that previously time and again and will look to do that.
The left-arm wrist spinner holds the key for Kolkata in the middle-overs.
Piyush Chawla:
The veteran spinner Piyush Chawla will lead Kolkata’s spin department. He along with Kuldeep will have to contain runs in the middle-overs.
Chawla has done well and will look to continue his form.
Vinay Kumar:
The Knight Riders camp will rely on this experienced campaigner despite going for runs in the last game.
However, this has done well in the past and will look to storm back to form.
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