IPL 2021, KKR vs RR: Here is the match preview
Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals will square off in the 54th match of 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The Sharjah Cricket Stadium will host the evening game of Thursday's double-header. KKR need to win the match with a healthy Net Run Rate in order to maintain their qualification chances. Meanwhile, RR are unlikely to qualify for the playoffs. Here is the preview.
Here is the head-to-head record
Kolkata have fared slightly better than Rajasthan as far as the IPL head-to-head record is concerned. In 23 meetings, KKR have won 12 matches with a win percentage of 52.17. Meanwhile, RR have managed to win 11 matches with a win percentage of 47.83. Notably, KKR have won six of the eight matches against RR since IPL 2018.
A look at the key details
The match will take place at the Shrajah Cricket Stadium. It will begin at 7:30 PM IST. Unlike the last season, the wicket has been on the slower side. Notably, RR managed only 90/9 in their last fixture on this venue. One can watch the match live on the Star Sports Network and stream the same on the Hotstar app (paid subscription).
KKR expected to play the same XI
KKR registered a one-sided win against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The inclusion of Shakib Al Hasan helped their plight. The Knight Riders still miss the services of Andre Russell and Lockie Ferguson, both of whom are injured. Probable XI: Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Sunil Narine, Shivam Mavi, Tim Southee, Varun Chakaravarthy
RR could try out new players
Rajasthan haven't been able to lock in an ideal Playing XI. This has resulted in a dip in their performance. The Royals could still try out new faces in what could be their last game this season. Probable XI: Evin Lewis, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (captain, wicket-keeper), Shivam Dube, Glenn Phillips, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Kuldip/Akash, Chetan Sakariya, Shreyas Gopal, Mustafizur Rahman
Here are the top performers
Dinesh Karthik has aggregated 544 runs from 26 games at a strike rate of 133.00 against RR. On the bowling front, Shakib has scalped 12 wickets with a best haul of 3/17 against them. Against KKR, Samson owns 376 runs at a strike rate of 120.90, while Chris Morris has accounted for 19 wickets with a best haul of 4/23.
