IPL
Kolkata/UNI: Having pulled off another last ball win in the previous encounter against the Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will look to go all out in the match against Rajasthan Royals on Thursday at Eden Gardens here to make it 3 wins on the trot and stay in the race for a place in the playoffs.
The two teams have faced each other 27 times in the IPL with the KKR holding the edge with 14 wins. The two teams haven’t met yet in this edition of the IPL but faced each other twice in last year’s edition winning one a piece.
Both the teams go into this fixture with 10 pts each from their 11 games and 2 points could see the winners go up to 4th in the table.
KKR have been consistent in the business end of the tournament with a new look pace attack settling in and the middle order hitting form.
Youngster Harshit Rana has been the surprise package having not just impressed with his pace and bounce but also his ability to pick up the crucial wickets.
The KKR think tank have taken the bold step of pairing him with another uncapped pacer Vaibhav Arora and the duo have shown maturity beyond their years shouldering the responsibility with the new ball.
Varun Chakravarthy’s season keeps getting better and better as he continues to be KKR’s bowler of the season with 17 wickets to his name.
The experience of Narine and the exuberance of young Suyash has been the perfect foil for Varun to operate from. Up top, Jason Roy continued his solid form with another important knock against Punjab Kings.
Skipper Rana and Rinku Singh have been the standout batsmen for the KKR with both batsmen scoring above 300 runs and the middle order now look much better with Andre Russell hitting prime form.
Anything below 180 has proven to be impossible to defend at the Eden this season and the KKR will have to prepare to either score big or chase big once again.
Last time around the spinners came handy on a sticky surface and Skipper Rana and the Coaching staff will be hoping for some help for the bowlers from the wicket on Thursday.
The rain is unlikely to play a factor in this game with the forecast reporting another hot summer day in Kolkata.
KKR go into Thursday’s game with 2 wins on the bounce whilst the Royals have lost 4 in their last 5.
With a playoff spot still up for grabs for both sides, expect both teams to raise their games for the occasion giving us a cracker to look forward to.
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