Rajasthan Royals will be eager to end their four-match losing streak and secure a top-two finish as they face the formidable Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a crucial IPL game on Sunday. Despite securing a playoff berth with 16 points, the Royals have struggled at the business end of the tournament, losing their last four matches.
Their batting lineup has faltered, failing to cross the 150-mark in their past two games. With their star England opener Jos Buttler returning home for national duties, the Royals face the challenge of filling his big shoes. The onus now falls on top batters Yashasvi Jaiswal, skipper Sanju Samson, and local hero Riyan Parag to shoulder additional responsibilities and steer the team out of this rough patch. A top-two finish would afford them two opportunities to reach the final.
On the other hand, KKR, sitting comfortably at the top with 19 points, have already secured their position as table toppers. Their last match was a washout against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, which handed them one point. Riding high on confidence, KKR must guard against complacency as they aim to maintain their momentum.
Since their victory against Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens on May 11, KKR haven’t played any matches due to the washout in Ahmedabad. The logistical challenges of traveling from Ahmedabad to Kolkata and then to Guwahati could disrupt their four-match winning streak.
Under the mentorship of Gautam Gambhir, KKR will need to hold on to their winning momentum without appearing rusty. They will, however, miss their in-form opener Phil Salt, who is back in England for the series against Pakistan, preparing for the T20 World Cup. Salt has been instrumental for KKR, scoring 897 runs with seven fifties and one century alongside Narine, both maintaining strike rates over 182.
Afghan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz is expected to replace Salt, but it would be unrealistic to expect him to replicate Salt’s impact immediately. Gurbaz, who played 11 matches in 2023, has not featured this season, with his last outing being a T20I against Ireland in March.
To maintain their rhythm, KKR will rely on skipper Shreyas Iyer, along with the finishing prowess of Rinku Singh and Andre Russell. These key players must fire in unison to ensure KKR’s dominance continues as they head into the playoffs.
Team News
The Royals will likely persist for Tom Kohler-Cadmore at the top of the order while for KKR, Rahmanullah Gurbaz should fill in for Phil Salt, who has returned to England.
Head-to-head record
There’s nothing to choose between the two sides, who have won 14 games apiece while 1 encounter between the two finished as no result.
Weather report
Rain could play a part in this contest in Guwahati, with 50% chance of thundershowers through the day.
Probable XIs
RR Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sanju Samson (wk/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal
KKR Probable XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
Full squads
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sanju Samson (wk/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rovman Powell, Nandre Burger, Keshav Maharaj, Tanush Kotian, Kuldeep Sen, Donovan Ferreira, Abid Mushtaq, Shubham Dubey, Kunal Singh Rathore, Navdeep Saini
Kolkata Knight Riders: Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Srikar Bharat, Sherfane Rutherford, Dushmantha Chameera, Nitish Rana, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Chetan Sakariya, Sakib Hussain, Suyash Sharma, Allah Ghazanfar
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(With PTI inputs)