Two crucial points are on the line as high-flying Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a battle for playoff qualification. Both teams, currently positioned second and third in the IPL standings, cannot afford complacency.
Unfamiliar Territory for KKR
While KKR boasts a strong spin attack and recent winning momentum, they’ve never played an IPL match at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium. The pitch’s unpredictable nature adds another layer of intrigue, although the historical spin dominance might favor KKR’s potent spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine.
LSG Seek Consistency
LSG, plagued by injuries, haven’t displayed consistent batting performances at Ekana. They managed a decent 196 on a good batting track against Rajasthan Royals but fell short while chasing a modest 145 against Mumbai Indians. Their bowling attack might see the return of either Yash Thakur or Amit Mishra to replace the injured Mayank Yadav.
Expected Playing XIs:
- LSG: KL Rahul, Arshdeep Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ashton Turner, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohsin Khan, Amit Mishra/Yash Thakur
- KKR: Phil Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
Players in Spotlight
- Marcus Stoinis (LSG): Stoinis has rediscovered his touch at the crucial number 3 position, alleviating pressure from the top order. His bowling can also be a factor, having dismissed key batsmen in recent matches.
- Shreyas Iyer (KKR): Despite KKR’s recent success, captain Iyer hasn’t fired consistently with the bat. Converting his starts into substantial scores will be crucial for KKR.
Pitch and Conditions
The pitch at Ekana can be a double-edged sword. While the first-innings score here averages only 160, the nature can vary significantly. KKR will hope for a spin-friendly track to exploit their strength, while LSG will aim to strike a balance.
Key Stats
- KL Rahul’s improved powerplay strike rate (140) and frequent powerplay completion (70%) bode well for LSG.
- KKR’s leaky pace attack, with the worst powerplay economy rate (9.8), could be targeted by LSG’s disciplined bowling (8.2 economy).
- Stoinis has a vulnerability against KKR’s spin duo, having been dismissed twice each by Varun and Russell in their past meetings.