After starting the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League on a high note with three wins in four games, Kolkata Knight Riders suffered a series of setbacks and lost six consecutive games, but they are now hoping for a good game against Rajasthan Royals on Monday to stay in contention for the playoffs.
The Shreyas Iyer-led side has struggled to find the right combination along with the inconsistent runs of their retained players Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russel, Varun Chakavorthy, and Sunil Narine.
The star-studded team has failed to perform as a unit, which has cost them dearly in recent matches. They have failed to eke out a positive result following their sensational victory over five-time champions Mumbai Indians, and with six defeats in nine matches, they are on the verge of a shock exit from the tournament. The only way they can make the playoffs is if they win all of their remaining matches.
KKR’s strength is their Captain Shreyas Iyer; he is the team’s leading run-scorer (290 runs in nine innings) and has delivered almost every time in the last eight outings, despite not receiving much support from the opposing side, which is one of the reasons for their defeats.
Nitish Rana showed some signs of being back in form as in the last game against Delhi Capitals he played a quick knock of 57 in just 34 deliveries.
Apart from the seasoned Umesh Yadav, their bowling attack has failed to put opposition batters under pressure and the poor show by star Aussie quick Pat Cummins has compounded their misery.
The road to the victory is tough for the imbalanced KKR side as in the 47th match they have to face a strong team Rajasthan Royals.
Royals have won six of the nine matches they have played so far, and they currently sit third in the league table with 12 points. The Sanju Samson-led side suffered a shock five-wicket defeat against the Mumbai Indians in their last match and will be eager to get back on track in order to reclaim second place in the league table.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ probable Playing XI:
Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (C), Baba Indrajith (wk), Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav
Rajasthan Royals’ Probable Playing XI:
Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (C and wk), Jimmy Neesham, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Sen, Prasidh Krishna.
