Two teams, desperate to get their campaigns back on track, will clash on Monday at Brabourne stadium.
Kolkata and Rajasthan both started their respective campaigns with a bang, but now tides have turned and both have found themselves in a position where they cannot afford hiccups.
Kolkata Knight Riders:
Shortcomings:
Shreyas-led team has lacked consistency and combined team effort has been a major issue which KKR would want to address from here on. KKR's misery is further intensified by poor opening partnerships and inability of their aceman Varun to take wickets in middle overs.
Positives:
KKR big hitting all-rounder Russell has found his mojo in this season and his Caribbean mate Sunil Narine has been instrumental in confining oppositions in middle overs. Form of the skipper has been commendable and he will be optimistic from his troops for delivering the goods.
Things to look forward:
Combined team effort and momentum will help KKR to present a strong case for playoffs.
Rajasthan Royals:
Shortcomings:
Age old story of RR has continued this season as well; showig spark initially and giving fans optimism but to no avail. Personal form of their skipper is regressive as tournament progress year after year. Rajasthan has shown faith in youngsters like Riyan Parag,Devdutt and Samson but they haven't lived up to the expectations of fans,franchises and themselves.
Positives:
Overseas contingent of RR has been their strength since ages and this year is no different. They heavily rely on the trio of Butler,Hetymer and Boult. Rajasthan had made some smart buys in auction and their Indian core which includes likes of Chahal,Ashwin,Kuldeep Sen and Prasidh hasn't disappointed them.
Things to look forward:
Bowlers are doing their job,overseas players are performing but the skipper of Rajasthan needs to step up.Years have gone by, but his breakthrough year hasn't come.His batting position is the most important slot in batting order and the management will be optimistic that the skipper finally arrives.
Probable Playing XI:
Kolkata Knight Riders: Aaron Finch, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Sheldon Jackson (wk), Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Aman Hakim Khan, Varun Chakravarthy
Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Riyan Parag, Trent Boult, Kuldeep Sen, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal
Pitch Report:
The pitch is likely to offer the same amount of support to the batters as we have seen in the first few matches at this venue. Pacers are likely to find enough pace and bounce from the pitch. The team winning the toss might look to bowl. Anything over 185 runs would be a safe score for the team batting first.
Live Streaming:
Venue: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai
When: April 18, 19:30 IST and local time
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Hotstar
Dream 11 Team:
