IPL 2022: Match 35 – Predicted Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI vs Gujarat Titans

It has been a disappointing campaign so far for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2022. At this moment, the team is in the seventh position with three wins in seven appearances. In the last fixture against Rajasthan Royals (RR), the bowlers could not execute their plans well and were hit for 200+ runs. The batters could not ace the crucial moments, and the team fell short by seven runs.

In their eighth fixture of the ongoing season, they will face the Gujarat Titans (GT), who have done most things right in both departments. Although the performances of key players like Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Chakravarthy are a matter of concern for KKR, the team is expected to back them due to their impressive track record. The team is playing with the settled combination and all have bases covered, and will look to turn fortunes in their favor with the same set of players.

Here’s a look at the Kolkata Knight Riders’ predicted XI against GT:

Openers: Venkatesh Iyer and Aaron Finch

In the last game, the team promoted Sunil Narine at the opening slot, while Venkatesh Iyer came at the No. 6 position. The experiments failed as the duo could not trouble the scores. In this fixture, Venkatesh is expected to be back in the opening slot, which will give him time to settle and gain confidence.

In seven matches this year, the talented southpaw has garnered 109 runs at a strike rate of 102.83. His best score of 50* came against Mumbai Indians (MI), where he displayed composure to help the team in securing a victory. He will look to replicate his past performances for KKR in the upcoming matches to provide a strong start to the team.

Middle Order: Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Sheldon Jackson (wk)

The middle-order constitutes the experienced players in form of Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana, and Sheldon Jackson. The wicket-keeper Jackson has not played with his full potential this season and was dropped as well. In the last fixture, he could contribute only eight of eight balls and gave away his wicket at the wrong time.

Captain Shreyas has emerged to be the best batter on the team this season. In seven innings, he has amassed 236 runs at a strike rate of 148.43. His best knock of 85 off 51 balls came in a losing cause against RR. He is certainly the backbone of the team due to his solid technique and stable mind.

The left-handed batter, Rana has got off to a flier in a few of the fixtures this season but has been unable to convert into a big score. In the last outing against RR, he hit a single four, and a six to score 18 off 11 balls, but holed out to the long-on fielder.

All-rounders: Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, and Sunil Narine

The most vital department of the KKR team includes the Caribbean superstars, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, and Australian Test captain Pat Cummins. The team is dependent on them for their vital contributions in both departments of the game. In this season, Russell has done well, while the other two have been average with their performances.

Russell has scored 179 runs at a strike rate of 177.23 and picked six wickets with an economy of 10.83. His best innings of 70 off 31 balls helped the team to secure a big victory against Punjab Kings (PBKS) earlier in the tournament. However, he was dismissed for a duck and finished with figures of 1/29 off two overs in the last fixture.

The mystery spinner Narine has six wickets to his name at an economy of 5.04. The opposition batters have not attacked him, and hence he does not have enough wickets under his belt. On the batting front as well, much more is expected from the experienced spinner due to his proven capabilities. At the No. 8 position arrives, Cummins, who has been average after a whirlwind knock of 56* off 15 balls against MI. In total, he has four wickets at an expensive economy rate of 12.

Bowlers: Shivam Mavi, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy

The bowling unit has lacked the consistency to pick wickets this season. Shivam Mavi was brought back to the team in the last fixture, but gave away 34 runs and picked a single wicket. He is expected to get one more game under his belt due to the lack of quality Indian pacer in the squad.

The experienced pacer Umesh Yadav has been impressive in the tournament picking up a total of 10 wickets in seven appearances at an economy of 7.39. He has secured wickets in a consistent manner in the powerplay overs. Although he gave away 44 runs off four overs in the last game and would look to improve his performance.

The talented spinner Varun Chakravarthy has not looked at his best this season, with only four wickets in seven matches at an economy of 8.84. His form is a matter of concern for the team, as he was the pick of the bowlers in the last two editions.

KKR’s predicted playing XI for GT’s clash: Venkatesh Iyer, Aaron Finch, Shreyas Iyer (C), Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Sheldon Jackson (wk), Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Shivam Mavi, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.