It’s a double-header again today after two back-to-back last-over thrillers yesterday. The day game is between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens.
Kolkata Knight Riders are in deeper trouble with just one point from six games. Another defeat could leave them close to elimination. Their powerplay bowling has been the weakest this season, and the absence of Matheesha Pathirana adds to the concerns.
KKR Probable XI: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Tim Seifert (wk), Sunil Narine, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi
Impact subs:Varun Chakaravarthy, Navdeep Saini, Manish Pandey, Finn Allen, Tejasvi Dahiya
Injuries/Unavailabilities: Cameron Green did not bowl against Gujarat Titans due to cramps, according to Ajinkya Rahane. His bowling role remains uncertain. Matheesha Pathirana is yet to join the squad
Watch Live Streaming: Fans can watch the KKR vs RR match live on the app and website of JioHotstar.
Toss Time: 3:00 PM
Pitch report – At Eden Gardens, recent games on pitch No. 4 have favoured teams batting first, though chases have stayed competitive. Expect heat around 36°C and a dry surface, bringing spinners into the game for both Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals.
Head to head: KKR lead 16-14 overall and 7-4 in matches at the Eden Gardens
Rajasthan Royals come into the Eden Gardens game after a heavy defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, where their chase fell apart early. The loss exposed issues in the middle order, especially without Shimron Hetmyer. Riyan Parag has struggled for runs, while Ravindra Jadeja has not fully contributed with bat or ball.
RR Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Donovan Ferreira, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma
Impact subs: Nandre Burger, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh
Injuries/Unavailabilities: All players are fit and available for selection
KKR under pressure as RR aim to reset
Kolkata Knight Riders are yet to win after six games, with injuries to Harshit Rana and Akash Deep hurting their pace attack. Ajinkya Rahane admitted their powerplay bowling lacks experience, while the batting has also been inconsistent.
Rajasthan Royals, despite a heavy defeat last game, remain better placed. Their powerplay bowling has been among the best this season, and they will look to bounce back quickly against a struggling KKR side.