IPL 2018: Match 18, KKR vs KXIP- Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted XI

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), after a lacklustre start, have gathered momentum with a couple of triumphs against Delhi and Rajasthan. Their competition will be against the might of the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) who have been on a rampage. Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin’s men would want to dethrone the Knights from the top of the league table.

As far as the team combination is concerned, they have chopped and changed on quite a few occasions. While some have clicked, a few of them have back-fired. The Knights carve the mission of staying atop the ladder, let’s take you through the lineup and any probable changes in their upcoming game at the iconic Eden Gardens.

Openers (Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine)  

Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine are the likely openers. Lynn has scored runs, but he hasn’t been at his very best with the willow. The Queenslander has tried to hit the ball hard but has got minimum results. He likes pace on the ball and hence, Ajinkya Rahane introduced Krishnappa Gowtham and he nipped Lynn out. The right-hander would be looking to take the Knights off to a blistering start.

Narine has notched some useful knocks, opening the batting. He started the tournament and has played a couple of substantial knocks against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR). He was sent once in the middle order but was shifted back to the opening position after he failed to deliver. The Knights would wish for another belligerent star from the Caribbean start.

Middle order (Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (capt & wk), Shubman Gill)

The middle order is currently in prime form, much to the delight of the Knights. Robin Uthappa found his form in the previous games and has looked in ominous touch. More importantly, the Saurashtra-batsman scored the runs in double quick time. Nitish Rana has gone from strength to strength and is currently a stalwart in the middle order.

He has played a couple of match-winning knocks and looked in excellent touch. Dinesh Karthik hasn’t got any substantial knocks but has chipped in with crucial runs. The Tamil Nadu cricketer has been under the pump after a couple of back-to-back losses but has responded bravely to the challenges. Shubman Gill hasn’t had much to do and would want to contribute as well.

All-rounder (Andre Russell)

Andre Russell has effortlessly been the standout cricketer for the Knight Riders, especially in the batting department where he has tormented the rivals. The Jamaican has 19 sixes in his kitty from four games. Chennai and Delhi have had to face the wrath of the belligerent batsman. Meanwhile, he is steadfastly finding his rhythm in the bowling department as well which can be a daunting prospect for oppositions going ahead.

Bowlers (Shivam Mavi, Tom Curran, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav)

The bowlers started erratically but have started to find their feet in the league. Piyush Chawla was expensive against CSK, but has managed to restrict the opposition in the other games. The same goes for Narine as he has been on the money, apart from the previous game against Rajasthan Royals. Kuldeep Yadav has also got a lid on the batsmen with his left-arm leg-breaks.

The trio would again be expected to deliver the goods for the Men in Purple and Gold. Tom Curran has been a tad off colour, but he has got a couple of wickets against the Royals, which would keep him in good stead ahead of tomorrow’s game. Shivam Mavi’s raw pace might come in handy to push the RCB batsmen back. Meanwhile, the Kings can’t afford to undermine Nitish Rana’s off-breaks.

Here’s KKR Predicted XI for the game against Kings XI Punjab

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