IPL 2023, KKR vs RR: Sanju Samson elects to bowl
Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals will square up in the 56th match of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). The Nitish Rana-led Knights defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings after losing to Gujarat Titans. Meanwhile, RR, who are out of the top four, have lost three consecutive matches. The news from Kolkata is that Sanju Samson has won the toss and will bowl.
Pitch report, timing, and broadcast details
Kolkata's Eden Gardens, which is renowned for its batting-friendly surface, will host this duel on May 11. One could see a high-scoring game. Spinners will come into the match once the surface wears down. Overall, a competitive battle between bat and ball is expected. Star Sports Network will telecast the match, while fans can also live-stream it on JioCinema from 7:30pm IST onward.
A look at the head-to-head record
Both teams have faced each other on 26 occasions in the IPL (including two Super-Over fixtures). KKR have won on 14 occasions, with RR winning on 10 instances. Since 2020, KKR enjoy a 4-2 record in wins over RR. In IPL 2022, both teams won a match against each other. Notably, KKR won the last encounter between the two.
Changes for the two sides
RR skipper Samson confirmed a couple of changes for RR. New Zealand pacer Trent Boult has replaced Kuldip Yadav. KM Asif is in for Murugan Ashwin. Meanwhile, Samson also said Joe Root will bat at number four. For KKR, spinner Anukul Roy has replaced pacer Vaibhav Arora.
Playing XIs of KKR and RR
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Jason Roy, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana (c), Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy. Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (wk/c), Joe Root, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, KM Asif, Yuzvendra Chahal.
