Skipper Dinesh Karthik & his Knights will take inspiration from their last IPL 2019 win that came against tonight’s opponent in Jaipur.
Rajasthan Royals are languishing at the bottom of the table with 3 wins. Another loss for the away side could end their Vivo IPL 2019 playoff hopes.
Head to Head
KKR: 10 | RR: 9 (Overall)
KKR: 6 | RR: 1 (At Eden Gardens)
If we go by numbers, we have been one of the toughest teams to beat in Kolkata. Something that has changed this year, with three defeats on the trot. Overall, we have got the better of Rajasthan Royals in last four matches which is a positive sign.
The only time RR defeated us in Kolkata was way back in the first season of Vivo IPL in 2008.
Nitish Rana & Shubman Gill at Eden Garden, IPL 2019
We've seen how much Andre Russell has dominated with the bat this season. But let's not forget the contributions from Rana & Gill.
The young batters have a better record at Eden Gardens than away from home. Rana in four innings has notched up 248 runs at an avg. of 62. While the 19-year old Shubman, in three innings he batted has 107 runs to his name with a highest score of 65.
Kuldeep can turn it around vs RR
The left-arm Chinaman is having a forgettable IPL. Keeping his so far IPL performance aside, he can be the go to bowler for KKR against RR tonight. He’s enjoyed a good run against RR and tonight’s game can be the perfect platform for a turnaround.
Kuldeep vs RR
Inns: 4 | Overs: 16 | Runs: 94 | Wkts: 6 | Econ: 5.9
KKR News:
After our loss against SRH in previous game, the team was given a break. Skipper Dinesh Karthik and Vice-Skipper Robin Uthappa made the most of it and came to Mumbai and had a few sessions at KKR Academy with Abhishek Nayar.
Windies allrounder Carlos Brathwaite assured of positive vibes at the dressing room. "I think the mood in the camp is good. We are still teasing each other. As a professional player, you cannot allow results to alter your demeanour or your mindset," Brathwaite said as quoted by firstpost.
While there is plenty of work to be done in the Knight camp, DK and co. will be eager to get their campaign back on track with a win tonight in front of the faithful Eden Gardens crowd. The bowling department led by our spinners will need to play a crucial role to make it difficult for the away side.
RR News:
From Rajasthan Royals’ perspective, the team has been playing well in their matches but have lacked the finishing touch in both departments. Steve Smith replaced Ajinkya Rahane as the captain and has looked quite animated to turn it for his side.
RR have won 2 of their last 4 matches which will give them confidence going into tonight’s game at a venue where they have not been at their best. With everything still to play, it will be an intense encounter.
Almost all of RR’s defeats have come either in last over or they've lost by a margin of around 10-15 runs except the one against KKR where they lost while defending 139 in just 13.5 overs. Without Jos Buttler, there will be an added pressure on Steve Smith and co. to fill that gap.
Teams:
KKR: Dinesh Karthik (C & WK), Carlos Brathwaite, Sandeep Warrier, Kuldeep Yadav, Shrikant Mundhe, Harry Gurney, Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, Nikhil Naik, Lockie Ferguson, Prasidh Krishna, Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Chris Lynn, Rinku Singh, KC Cariappa, Joe Denly, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Robin Uthappa
RR: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Shubham Ranjane, Ashton Turner, Steve Smith, Stuart Binny, Shreyas Gopal, Sudhesan Midhun, Jaydev Unadkat, Ish Sodhi, Prashant Chopra, Mahipal Lomror, Oshane Thomas, Aryaman Birla, Riyan Parag, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Liam Livingstone, Varun Aaron, Jos Buttler, Shashank Singh, Manan Vohra, Rahul Tripathi
Last Five Meetings
KKR 4-1 RR
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Date & Time: Sunday, 25th April 2019, 8 PM
