Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals – Indian Premier League 5 – Match Preview
The Rajasthan Royals and the Kolkata Knight Riders are set to clash for a second time in the ongoing Indian Premier League 5, at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, today, on April 13.
In stark comparison to the clashes between the two teams in the last 2011 IPL season, during which the Knight Riders won each time, their last meeting in the current edition of the league saw the Royals clinching a 22-run win at home aided by the heroics
of Brad Hodge (44) and Kevon Cooper (3-28).
However, judging from a psychological point of view, the tables seem to have turned as the Knight Riders will be going into the encounter after having secured a 42-run victory in the previous match they played, against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Meanwhile,
the Royals recently conceded their first defeat of the season to the Mumbai Indians in their previous match, which saw them losing by a 27-run margin.
The KKR are currently at number 6 on the points table, having won only one of their 3 matches so far.
Despite their victory in their previous match against the Royal Challengers, the Knight Riders displayed an alarming lack of depth in their batting order. Openers Jacques Kallis and Gautam Gambhir (both formidable names), provided the team a solid start,
but the middle and lower order were unable to follow through. Yusuf Pathan, despite his mediocre showings in the season so far, has the ability to fix that, and may use the upcoming chance to make a statement.
Wicketkeeper batsman Manvinder Bisla however, impressed at number 3, with 46 off 29, and is expected to be retained in place of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BB-McCullum-c1129 (who has been unable to contribute more than scores such as 9 and 2 recently).
With players such as Brett Lee and Laxmipathy Balaji in the squad, the bowling attack looks to be in safe hands, with the Aussie pacer having claimed 2 for 29 in the previous match against the Royals, while Balaji claimed 4 for 18 in KKR’s previous game.
Kallis, who chipped in with 2 for 7 against the Royal Challengers, is also bound to prove useful for his side.
Meanwhile, unlike Gambhir’s men, the Royals (currently at number 4 on the season points table) started the season on a high, winning both of their first two matches. However, they faltered in their last clash, and will be looking to make a return to their
previous form.
The batting order will be spearheaded by the duo of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/R-Dravid-c2229 and Ajinkya Rahane, with the youngster having proven to be a capable opener, registering scores such as 40 and 98 in the current season.
The underperforming http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Brad-Hodge-c1184, who top-scored for his side with 44 off 29 in their last encounter
with the KKR.
The middle-order looks fairly solid, owing to the presence of Owais Shah, who scored 76 off 42 during the clash with the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 Indians – a valiant effort, despite the fact that it was not enough to propel his team to victory in the end. Batting at number
6 during the Royals’ last match against the KKR, Shah proved a capable finisher, scoring an unbeaten 23 off 11. However, he is likely to remain higher up in the order this time around.
With the exception of Hodge, the bowling attack is likely to remain unchanged. Amit Singh and Brad Hogg featured most prominently in the previous match, both bagging 2 wickets each. Kevon Cooper conceded a disappointing 43 runs in 4 overs, with a single
wicket to his name – a far cry from his brilliant 3 for 28 against the Knight Riders at Jaipur. The upcoming match may see him making a return to form.
The temperature in Kolkata this evening is likely to be around 24 - 34° C, with a forecast for thunderstorms.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rajasthan-c837 playing XI (probable):
1 Rahul Dravid (captain), 2 http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Siddharth-Trivedi-c2526
Kolkata playing XI (probable):
1 http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Brett-Lee-c48419, 11 Laxmipathy Balaji
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