KKR vs LSG Match Preview
There have been some excellent performers in this relatively young line-up of the Knight Riders. Skipper Nitesh Rana has led from the front, scoring 3 half-centuries and a total of 305 runs. He is the second-highest run-scorer for the team this season.
His tally is bettered only by Rinku Singh, who is undoubtedly the find of the season for them. He proved in the previous match that he is not just a smasher at the end but can also play on tough wickets and anchor a chase. Venkatesh Iyer and Jason Roy have chipped in at times but have lacked consistency. Some of the international players have been a bit disappointing too. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine bring a lot of T20 experience with them but they have failed to deliver the goods here.
KKR may need to move beyond these names in the next season.
Varun Chakaravarthy has been the standout performer with the ball so far. He has picked up 19 wickets and is the leading wicket-taker for the team. Suyash Sharma is another good find and will play an important role in the upcoming seasons.
The seamers haven’t been up to the task and that has been one of the main causes for the team's lackluster performance. Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur, and Andre Russell have all struggled to pick up wickets.
LSG will depend on Quinton de Kock to give them a good start here. He will either be joined by Kyle Mayers or Deepak Hooda at the top of the order. While the former has been in good form, the latter has struggled to score runs.
LSG picks players for particular conditions and so we think Mayers may find himself back in the team for this match.
The Lucknow Super Giants have two excellent batsmen in the middle order. Marcus Stoinis is the leading run-scorer for the team with 368 runs. Nicholas Pooran is an excellent finisher, capable of scoring some quick runs at the end. Both of these players are having their best IPL season ever and have contributed massively to LSG's success.
However, the other batsmen haven’t been very consistent. Krunal Pandya, Prerak Mankad, and Ayush Badoni have played well in patches but they will need to step up their game here.
Ravi Bishnoi has been the prime bowler for the team with 14 wickets.
The Super Giants have plenty of options in the seam department, as Yash Thakur, Naveen ul-Haq, and Mohsin Khan have been decent with the ball. Mohsin bowled a brilliant last over in the last match, defending 10 runs, and was instrumental in helping his team win here.
Weather Report
The weather is likely to be warm and humid with overcast conditions and we might see some rain here.
Pitch Report
The Eden Gardens is known to produce good batting surfaces and this year appears no different. The pitch is dry and flat with very little grass on it. The average first-inning score here this season is around 195. The seamers will struggle here and will have to be very disciplined with their line and length.
Notable stats
Nitesh Rana’s Consistent Batting
Rana has led his team from the front this season and has been a consistent performer with the bat. He has scored 335 runs in his last 10 outings at an average of 37.22 and a strike rate of 144.39.
Team News
There are no updates regarding injuries from either side.
KKR vs LSG Probable 11
KKR Playing 11
- Jason Roy
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wk)
- Nitesh Rana (C)
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Rinku Singh
- Andre Russell
- Shardul Thakur
- Sunil Narine
- Vaibhav Arora
- Harshit Rana
- Varun Chakaravarthy
LSG Playing 11
- Quinton de Kock (Wk)
- Kyle Mayers
- Krunal Pandya (C)
- Marcus Stoinis
- Nicholas Pooran
- Ayush Badoni
- Prerak Mankad
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Yash Thakur
- Mohsin Khan
- Avesh Khan
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Lucknow Super Giants to win here. This is a must-win fixture for them if they want an easy entry to the playoffs and they will go all guns blazing here. On the other hand, KKR has a poor record in home matches this season and we expect them to find it difficult to overcome their opposition.
Top Picks
Marcus Stoinis: Stoinis is in brilliant form with the bat and has played some match-winning innings for the LSG this season. He is their highest run-getter with 368 runs and has a strike rate of 151.44.
Quinton de Kock: De Kock has an excellent record against KKR. He has scored an aggregate of 417 runs against them, which is the most he has against any team, including a century and 3 half-centuries.
Rinku Singh: Singh has taken up the role of a finisher for KKR and has been very consistent with the bat. He is the highest run-getter for the team and averages 50.88 this season.
KKR vs LSG Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: Q de Kock, N Pooran, R Gurbaz
Batters: N Rana, R Singh
All-rounders: A Russell (VC), M Stoinis (C), K Pandya
Bowlers: V Chakravarthy, R Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq
