IPL 2020: Match 49, CSK vs KKR- KKR Predicted Playing XI

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are in a bit of a hole, being placed fifth in the points table of the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL). The Eoin Morgan-led unit have been toppled by the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), who are on a five-match winning streak.

In fact, it was KXIP, who beat the Knight Riders by eight wickets and entered into the top four. With three games left, KKR can’t afford any sort of complacency by any means. The Men in Gold and Purple are next scheduled to face the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Thursday, October 29 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

In their previous face-off, it was the Knights, who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and they can draw confidence from the same. For the time being, it remains to be seen if Morgan and Co make any changes in the playing eleven from the previous encounter.

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for the Kolkata Knight Riders for CSK vs KKR game: 

Openers (Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana)

The Knights may persist with their opening duo of Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana despite it failing in the last game. Rana scored a fifty against Delhi Capitals (DC) but bagged a duck versus KXIP, getting out to Glenn Maxwell.

However, the two half-centuries he has scored is likely to give him some confidence. Gill, on the other hand, is currently the leading run-scorer for the Knights in the tournament.

He should be in good stead following his half-century last time around, though it came in a losing cause. The right-hander has 378 runs at an average of 34.36, but he needs to up his strike-rate which is at 113.85.

Middle-order (Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Eoin Morgan (C))

In the middle-order, Eoin Morgan remains to be the most in-form player. The left-hander has been the most fluent batsman for KKR, scoring 335 runs at an average of 37.22.

The England World Cup-winning captain has struck the ball at 131.37, showing that in terms of fluency he hasn’t been far behind. Dinesh Karthik’s tussle with poor form has continued. Though he has played a couple of match-saving knocks, his average of 13.45 with 148 runs won’t give him a lot of confidence.

Rahul Tripathi hasn’t done much apart from his 81 against CSK earlier this month. He has to find a way of getting his form back.

All-rounder (Sunil Narine)

Sunil Narine hasn’t had the best of tournaments going by the standards he has set for the Knight Riders over the years. That he has once been reported for suspect action hasn’t helped him by any stretch of the imagination.

With the ball, he only has five wickets to show for his efforts at an economy of 8.06. His revamped action hasn’t done him much good. With the bat in hand, the left-hander has had his travails as well.

Barring the fifty he churned out against the Capitals, he hasn’t looked at his best. In seven innings, the T20 veteran has 114 runs at an average and strike-rate of 16.28 and 150 respectively.

Bowlers (Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy)

It goes without saying that in the bowling department, Varun Chakravarthy has been the standout performer. The spinner has 13 wickets and was the first to notch a five-wicket haul, getting him the Player of the Match award.

Prasidh Krishna has looked out of sorts and has leaked quite a bit of run. Pat Cummins has bowled with pace and venom, though without much rewards. He only has six wickets, albeit his economy rate of 7.81 isn’t on the higher side.

New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson has six wickets in his kitty. In KKR’s last match, the pacer also showed that he can use the long handle to good effect.