IPL 2018: Match 44, KXIP vs KKR- Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted XI

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) find themselves in a rabbit role following a couple of drubbings at the hands of the Mumbai Indians (MI). They need victories in all three matches provided they don’t want to get tangled in the complications of the net-run-rate. Frequent injuries to their top players haven’t helped their cause of holding on to their winning momentum.

They seemed rattled the other night courtesy of some lusty hitting by Ishan Kishan and Co. More than the lineup, the Knights need to get their mental state in place, which has been severely dented. Nevertheless, for the firepower they possess, Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) can’t afford to undermine them by any means. For now, let’s take you through their probable eleven for the next match.

Openers (Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine)

Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine faltered in the earlier against the Mumbai, but KKR may not tinker with the tried and tested openers for them. Lynn hasn’t been in the best of forms and only managed a couple of half-centuries in 11matches. Needless to say that the Knights will desperately need his prowess to come to the fore in the situation of crisis.

Sunil Narine has resorted to the approach of going after the bowling inside the powerplay and has succeeded quite an extent. He was sent a couple of times in the middle-order, but the experiment failed and he was back to his place as an opener against Rohit Sharma’s men. The hosts will be wary of his abilities to capitalize on the field restrictions.

Middle-order (Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (capt & wk), Rinku Singh)

The middle-order was severely jolted when Shubman Gill was ruled out of the playing eleven in the last game. However, it doesn’t have a dearth of quality and experience. Robin Uthappa is an experienced campaigner and has to play a vital role in the franchise’s upcoming matches. Nitish Rana has to notch some substantial knocks under his belt in order for KKR to progress in the league.

Dinesh Karthik has tried his heart out in the lower order and has also played some handy and quick-fire knocks for his team. KKR need a few wins and a lot will depend on how Karthik performs. The skipper still believes that the franchise can still make the top-four, which is still a possibility. Rinku Singh replaced Shubman Gill in the eleven and he is likely to be a part of the team against Punjab as well.

All-rounder (Andre Russell)

Andre Russell didn’t have an auspicious outing against Rohit Sharma’s men the last night. Moreover, his batting form has dipped to some extent. It’s important to get his form back at the earliest and help the Knights through to the playoffs. Punjab have a formidable lineup and task won’t be a cakewalk for the hulk-like Jamaican cricketer, both with bat and ball.

Bowlers (Mitchell Johnson, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna)

In the bowling department, Mitchell Johnson might replace Tom Curran, who wasn’t in impressive touch in the previous game. Johnson’s experience might come in handy for KKR against the likes of KL Rahul and Chris Gayle. The wrist-spinners in Piyush Chawla and Kuldeep Yadav were taken apart by the Mumbai batsmen and they would be keen to hit their straps.

Prasidh Krishna made his debut at the Wankhede Stadium and did reasonably. He was entrusted in the next match as well and he didn’t disappointing, though he didn’t have much to cheer for. Sunil Narine’s guile and trajectory will be important. Nitish Rana’s part-time off-breaks might also be required.