A buoyant Kolkata Knight Riders are ready to take on the Gujarat Titans when they face the defending champions at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The Knight Riders have every reason to feel confident and charged up after their clinical showing against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Eden Gardens on Thursday. Beating a formidable side by 81 runs is never easy, more so when the top-order batting hasn’t quite fired. However, irrespective of the positive mindset after a big win over the Virat Kohlis, the job could only get tougher for the Knights at the Motera. They will be up against a side that consists of game-changers and players who can remain steady and calm even under immense pressure.
Varun Chakravarthy after dismissing Glenn Maxwell at the Eden on Thursday. Picture courtesy IPL
Led by Hardik Pandya, the likes of Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan and David Miller are all contributing at crucial phases once again, which went a long way in securing the Titans the IPL crown last year on debut. Performing as a unit is one of the biggest strengths of the defending champions, and if they continue in that fashion on Sunday, the Knights may well have to play out of their skins to win the game.
The Knights may field three spinners — Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Suyash Sharma — as all of them played a part in demolishing RCB, their bowling coach Bharat Arun said on match-eve. But Nitish Rana and Co. must make sure they get the top order sorted instead of leaving everything to Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
The Knights now have England top order batter Jason Roy at their disposal, while Bangladesh’s Litton Das is set to reach Calcutta on Sunday. But will Roy be utilised in Sunday’s game? That remains to be seen.
Nonetheless, if seamer all-rounder Shardul Thakur uses the long handle well again, just as he did on Thursday evening at the Eden, the Titans too could feel the heat.
Today’s match
■ Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 3.30pm, Ahmedabad, live on Star Sports & Jio Cinema
