After a much-needed victory against the Rajasthan Royals at home, the Kolkata Knight Riders had close to a week’s time to regroup and sharpen their strengths. How well they have done that will be found out on Sunday, when they face the Lucknow Super Giants.
Though they are still the bottom-placed side going into Sunday’s clash, the Knight Riders should be in a better frame of mind than their opponents, who have lost all of their last four games to be placed in the second-last position of the points table. Having said so, it’s the Knights who need to show greater urgency and force the issue in this clash of back-benchers as they are in a must-win scenario at this stage.
If they lose at the Ekana International Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday, the playoffs dream will drift further away from KKR. The net run rate also becomes a factor then as the maximum number of points the three-time champions can secure would be 15.
However, Matheesha Pathirana is available for selection and should be a boost to the Knights’ bowling group, which had fared quite well in their previous game against the Royals at Eden Gardens. But even if he plays, one wonders how effective the slinger can be, as he has been out of action for quite some time.
The Lucknow pitch, whether it’s on the slower side or assists quicks, as it had during the Super Giants-Royals game last Wednesday, should decide how the match pans out. With the in-form trio of Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and young pacer Kartik Tyagi, and maybe Pathirana, the Knights will back themselves to do well.
Batting-wise, the Super Giants aren’t well placed at all. Barring Mitch Marsh, senior pros Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran and captain Rishabh Pant are going through a difficult phase.
The KKR bowlers, if they have done their homework well, will know how to get
the better of a struggling batting unit.
But at the same time, KKR’s batting, too, hasn’t at all been great. Opening has been a big issue and captain Ajinkya Rahane’s extremely poor form has affected the team. Rinku Singh’s return to form should give the Knights some confidence. But will that be enough?