IPL 2022: Match 47- Predicted Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI vs Rajasthan Royals

The Kolkata Knight Riders will be locking horns with an in-form Rajasthan Royals in Match 47 of IPL 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 2. KKR would be hoping to avenge their reverse fixture loss where they went down by seven runs. Things have not gone right for the two-time champions as they have lost five consecutive games.

With their campaign getting derailed, the Kolkata Knight Riders are left with no choice other than to make some much-needed changes in their playing XI. They can consider roping in senior wicketkeeper-batter Sheldon Jackson and Australia all-rounder Pat Cummins while dropping Baba Indrajith and Aussie white-ball skipper Aaron Finch. Mystery spinner Sunil Narine could well be promoted as a pinch-hitter to open the innings.

Here’s the predicted Playing XI of the Kolkata Knight Riders for Match 47 of IPL 2022:

Openers: Sunil Narine and Venkastesh Iyer

Sunil Narine’s batting performance has not been up to the mark in this year’s IPL. He was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav in the last game for a golden duck batting in the middle-order. The Caribbean sensation could be asked to open the innings once again and KKR would be hoping that he lays a solid foundation with his strong pinch-hitting abilities.

Venkatesh Iyer, who was Kolkata’s breakout star last season, has failed to impress this time around having managed 132 runs from nine outings averaging 16.5 and a strike rate of 97.77. He would be hoping to rediscover his rhythm on the 22 yards as the two-time champions are in a dire need of a win to revive their campaign.

Middle-Order: Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Sheldon Jackson (wk), and Rinku Singh

While Kolkata Knight Riders suffered a batting collapse in the last game, it was skipper Shreyas Iyer who led from the front with a vital knock of 42 runs from 37 balls which eventually took his side to a decent total of 146/9. Iyer would once again be expected to shine in the middle-order against a strong Rajasthan bowling attack.

Nitish Rana scored a valiant half-century against the Capitals and mattered for his team just when they needed it the most. He was Kolkata’s top scorer with a 34-ball 57. KKR would be expecting him to show consistency going forward as they eye some precious points after a string of losses. Apart from effecting a lightening fast stumping of Robin Uthappa in the curtain-raiser, Sheldon Jackson has not done much with the bat and would be hungry to make the most of this opportunity.

Rinku Singh who had scored an important 23 runs from 16 balls would be eager to showcase a much better performance.

All-Rounders: Andre Russell and Pat Cummins

Andre Russell failed to trouble the scorers in the last game but, he has been KKR’s backbone this season both with the bat and ball. He has scored a couple of match-winning half-centuries but more importantly, had registered a four-wicket haul against the Gujarat Titans last weekend. The Caribbean megastar would be hoping to make his presence felt yet again.

Apart from his match-winning quickfire 56* against the Mumbai Indians, Pat Cummins has failed to create an impression so far. With the ball in hand, the Australian Test skipper has only managed four scalps from as many matches. Kolkata would be expecting nothing less than an all-round performance from the Aussie.

Bowlers: Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, and Harshit Rana

Senior pacer Umesh Yadav has been KKR’s most consistent bowler with 14 wickets from nine games and also finds a mention in the Purple Cap list. He would be looking to add more scalps to his tally as he faces RR’s famed batting line-up. New Zealand speedster Tim Southee has registered eight scalps to his name from four matches that he has played so far. He went wicketless in the last game against DC.

Harshit Rana showed a lot of promise with his sheer pace and also picked up the wicket of the hard-hitter, Mitchell Marsh in the last match. The emerging speedster would be hoping to make the ball do the talking against Rajasthan’s rampaging power-hitters.

Here’s the Predicted XI of the Kolkata Knight Riders:

Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Sheldon Jackson (wk), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Harshit Rana.