hen: KKR vs RR on May 11, 2023 at 7:30 PM local
Where: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
What to expect: The game will again be played on pitch #4, same as last night, which will make it the fourth IPL game to be played on the surface this season.
With a deep depression forming in the Bay of Bengal owing to Cyclone Mocha, the conditions 24 hours out from the match were cloudy although it didn't rain and impede teams' practice. That, however, meant that the pitch once again wasn't watered much and is likely to have more in it for the slower bowlers this time around. Unequal ground dimensions on both sides (58 meters and 71 meters) is likely to once again heavily influence match tactics.
No dew is expected although the last couple of games at the venue have been won by chasing sides. That will make for a tricky decision for Sanju Samson at the toss; RR have won only one out of their four games while chasing this season. No rain is forecast during the match but that could change quickly given the cyclonic conditions in the vicinity. The groundsmen covered the entire field of play on the eve of the match expecting overnight rain.
Team watch
Kolkata Knight Riders
Umesh Yadav, who has been sidelined with a minor left hamstring injury for the last three games, bowled with a full run-up on the eve of the match. He was seen bowling to Rinku Singh on the center practice wicket alongside other first-choice Varun Chakaravarthy, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Harshit Rana, with Vaibhav Arora not part of the drill. What that could mean is anybody's guess but that possible change aside, KKR are unlikely to tinker with a winning combination.
Tactics & Matchups: Nitish Rana has been one of the best players of spin in the last few editions of IPL but seems to struggle a bit against Yuzvendra Chahal, who has accounted for him five times in the past. This key battle will be crucial for both sides looking to get an important win under their belt. That said, KKR also have an ace in Sunil Narine against the opposition captain Sanju Samson, who's gotten out to the spinner thrice and scores against him at a modest strike-rate of 82.
Possible XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Jason Roy, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana(c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Vaibhav Arora/Umesh Yadav, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy. [Impact Player: Suyash Sharma]Rajasthan Royals
Trent Boult missed the last match with a niggle but should come right back into the Playing XI for this one. Expect them to play three spinners too on this track.
Tactics & Matchups: This year, RR have been one of the worst sides in the middle overs, losing as many as 32 wickets for only 749 runs from overs 7-15. That's got a lot to do with Shimron Hetmyer's dip in form, the batter totalling only 25 runs in his last six innings. How he and others in the middle-order fare against KKR's three-pronged spin attack could shape the match.
Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(w/c), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Adam Zampa, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal [Impact Player: Riyan Parag]