It’s high time Kolkata Knight Riders shook off its batting woes to get its Indian Premier League campaign back on track. More than avenging its defeat, defending champion KKR, struggling with three wins in eight matches, will be eager to arrest its slide and lift its morale when it meets Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Eden Gardens here on Saturday.
KKR has lost two matches on the trot, including the last one against Gujarat Titans at the Eden, due to its batters’ forgettable performances.
The host will hope that apart from usual performers, captain Ajinkya Rahane (271 runs) and youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi (197), other batters, including Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh, also shine on an ideal track.
KKR may think of replacing a misfiring Andre Russell with fellow Caribbean Rovman Powell. However, striking the right balance will take priority over other factors.
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KKR bowlers, including pacers Harshit Rana (11 wickets) and Vaibhav Arora (9), along with spinners Varun Chakaravarthy (10) and Sunil Narine (7), have done a decent job.
After its defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, PBKS, led by former KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer, will be keen to bounce back and record its sixth victory. Its batting, comprising Shreyas (263), rookie Priyansh Arya (254), Prabhsimran Singh (209) and Nehal Wadhera (189), has served the side well.
Despite its limited resources, PBKS bowling – consisting of Arshdeep Singh (11), Yuzvendra Chahal (9) and Marco Jansen (8) – has helped the team record crucial victories.
Nevertheless, KKR supporters will back the host to script its second home win.