IPL 10, Match 54, KKR v MI: Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted XI

It will be a pretty important match for both Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders when they lock horns at the Eden Gardens tomorrow. Knight Riders started off pretty well but their recent slump in form has left them in a bit of trouble. They need a big performance tomorrow which might help them to finish in the top 2 positions. They have a pretty good run rate and if the results of other matches go according to plan then a win tomorrow will be enough to book them a place in the top 2.

They have been bolstered by the return of Chris Lynn at the top of the order but their middle order hasn’t been tested yet and has failed to make an impact on a consistent basis. Though KKR is likely to stick with the playing XI but due to their combination, the lower middle order has been affected which has shown in their results in the last couple of matches. Guys like Yusuf Pathan and Suryakumar Yadav hasn’t got enough balls to face and have failed to get going.

So with more than 24 hours to go for the 54th match of the competition to progress let’s have a look at the predicted XI of Kolkata Knight Riders

Openers (Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn)

The southpaw from the Caribbean has been a surprise package at the top of the order and has belted the bowlers all round the park. He has been pretty consistent barring 2 or 3 matches and has got his team off to a flying start on at least 4 occasions. He hasn’t got too much success with the ball in hand but boasts of a very good economy rate. He also smashed the fastest fifty in IPL history of a mere 15 deliveries against RCB.

The Australian swashbuckling batsman has been a revelation for KKR opening the batting and ever since his return, he has looked a class apart. It was speculated that he might miss the full tournament after sustaining a shoulder injury but he recovered within 25 days and smashed a 22 balls half-century in his comeback clash.

Middle order (Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan)

The captain Gautam Gambhir has been sensational with the bat and has given the ideal platform for KKR in the middle overs. Apart from a rare failure in the previous match, Gambhir has looked a class apart and was even in contention for the orange cap’s race. He has been a consistent performer for KKR and will to finish the group stage with one more big innings.

Robin Uthappa has been another player who has been a sublime form for KKR and has contributed to the team’s cause on a consistent basis. He has made stroke-making look ridiculously easy at times and the wicket keeper batsman will surely look to finish the group stage with a noteworthy performance against the table toppers Mumbai Indians.

Manish Pandey has played some important innings for his team but off late he hasn’t got going. In the early part of the tournament, Pandey proved to be an asset for KKR in the middle order but ever since Lynn and Narine have been promoted up the order he has been deprived of batting up the order.

Another batsman who has also been affected due to the change in the batting order has been the hard-hitter Yusuf Pathan. He hasn’t got enough overs to bat which has affected his stroke making. The hard-hitter smashed a match winning half century earlier in the tournament but hasn’t been consistent enough. He also had a horrendous outing in the field missing simply opportunities.

Lower middle order (Colin de Grandhomme, Chris Woakes)

The Kiwi all-rounder has shown his prowess with the bat but consistency has also been his sole problem. He boasts of a tremendous strike rate but hasn’t been able to replicate in his performance on a consistent basis. He hasn’t been a wicket-taking option for Gambhir and apart from his 3/4 against Bangalore, he has failed to make an impact with the ball.

Chris Woakes has been a decent performer for the KKR and has provided them with wickets at crucial junctures of the game. Though he has gone for a few runs he has bagged some crucial wickets. He hasn’t got enough opportunities with the bat but is no mug as a batsman.

Bowlers (Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Ankit Rajpoot)

The left-arm chinaman bowler from Uttar Pradesh started off pretty well but has been treated with disdain in the last couple of matches. Especially against Rising Pune Supergiant, the youngster got some special treatment from Rahul Tripathi as he conceded 4 four sixes with 7 deliveries.

The Indian speedster has been a wicket-taking option but has leaked runs off late. He is definitely a match winner for Kolkata and will look to get back to the amazing rhythm he was in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy before the Champions Trophy commences from 1st June.

Ankit Rajpoot has looked good ever since making a return and will look to carry on his good work in the final match of the tournament.