IPL 2024: Can RR secure second-place finish against KKR?
The final league game of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) will see the battle between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders. Though both sides have qualified for the playoffs, RR can ensure a top-two finish with a win in this fixture. Notably, the Royals have lost their last four fixtures. KKR are certain to finish at the top. Here is the preview.
Pitch report, conditions, and streaming details
Guwahati's Barsapara Cricket Stadium will host this duel on May 19 (7:30pm IST). The only previous game at this venue in IPL 2024 saw PBKS chase down 145 against RR a few days back. There was plenty of assistance for the new-ball pacers. Star Sports will telecast the match, and fans can also live-stream it on JioCinema for free.
Here is the H2H record
Both teams have faced each other on 29 occasions in the IPL (including two Super-Over fixtures). The head-to-head record cannot separate the two teams as it reads 1-1. One of their matches got abandoned. RR claimed a thrilling two-wicket triumph when these two sides met earlier in the season. Jos Buttler's hundred helped RR chase down 224 on the final ball.
An important game for RR
Teams finishing in the top two will get an additional chance to qualify for the final. A win by any margin will guarantee RR a second-place finish. However, if they lose, they would need Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings to also suffer defeats in their final league-stage fixtures. As RR will feature in the last league-stage game, they would know the exact equation.
RR have lost momentum lately
As mentioned, RR lost their last four games. They must regroup sooner than later as they were sensational prior to their losing streak. Notably, Jos Buttler is unavailable for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, KKR have been powered by Sunil Narine's all-round brilliance. Several other players have also stood up as the two-time champions have won consistently.
Here are the probable XIs
KKR probable XI: Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy. Impact Player: Vaibhav Arora. RR Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal. Impact sub: Nandre Burger.
Here are the key performers
Narine has scored 461 runs this year (SR: 182.94). With the ball, the spinner has collected 15 wickets at an economy of 6.64. Andre Russell has been striking at 185 this year (222 runs). Both Riyan Parag and Samson have hammered 500-plus runs this season with their strike rate being over 150. Yuzvendra Chahal is leading the wicket-taking chart for RR with 17 scalps.
