Published: Apr 24, 2016, 11:17 AM (IST)
Edited: Apr 24, 2016, 11:17 AM (IST)
An inconsistent Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) will take on the formidable Kolkata Night Riders (KKR) in the 20th game of the Indian Premier League 2016 at Pune on Sunday. It’s a contest between the table –toppers KKR and languishing RPS. KKR are boosting with confidence as they have just lost a solitary game out of four while RPS despite having a well-balanced side have only managed a single win from their four outings. KKR registered a fine victory against Kings XI Punjab in their previous encounter as they won the game by six wickets. They have a well balanced side with most of their players on song. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Rising Pune Supergiants vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2016, Match 20 at Pune
Unfortunately, Manish Pandey is reported to miss the game due to chicken pox and one can expect few changes to maintain the equilibrium. KKR will look to keep up their good run and snatch two precious points. Here’s a look at what could possibly be their likely XI.
Top order: Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambir have done a fabulous job at the top and has got their team off to a flying start on a consistent basis. They duo have garnered 66.79 percent of KKR’s runs till date in the tournament. They have stitched three fifty-plus partnerships in their three wins. Uthappa and Gambhir will look to replicate their magical performance in this game too and get their team an ideal start. The absence of Manish Pandey will certainly hurt them but Colin Munro will undoubtedly fill up for the gap. Munro is an explosive batsman and can make any bowling attack if he gets going. He can be expected to bat at three and provide the impetus to KKR’s innings.
Middle-order: KKR’s top-order has fired on most of the occasions as a result of which their middle-order has not been tested yet. They have some match-winners in the middle in the form of Suryakumar Yadav, Andre Russell and Yusuf Pathan in the line up. It will be interesting to see how they fare if the top-order fails to get some runs. Piyush Chawla, batting in the lower middle-order is also capable to hit some big shots. The conundrum of picking an extra bowler or a batsman will be a difficult one to overcome. If KKR opt for an extra batsman then it would surely be Rajagopal Satish who will again bat in the middle.
Bowling: KKR have managed to get the proper balance in their bowling attack with Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav leading the pace battery. They possess menacing pace and will surely create immense trouble if there is any assistance in the pitch. Andre Russell on the other hand is also a handy bowler and the comeback of their mystery spinner Sunil Narine has surely strengthened their spin attack. Piyush Chawla’s leg-spin will also come handy along with Yusuf Pathan’s off-spin. If KKR, opt for an extra bowler then it might be the china man Kuldeep Yadav. This move is unlikely as they already have enough bowling options with couple of all-rounders in the attack. The 11th member will be a toss between Kuldeep Yadav and Satish.
Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI: Robin Uthappa (wk) , Gautam Gambhir (c), Colin Munro, Suryakumar Yadav, Andre Russell, Yusuf Pathan, Piyush Chawla, Umesh Yadav, Morne Morkel, Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav/Rajagopal Satish.
(Suraj Choudhari is a reporter with Criclife and CricketCountry. He is an avid follower of the game, and plays the sport at club level. He has a radical understanding about the subtle nuances and intricacies of cricket, and tries to express it through paper and pen.)
