Kolkata Knight Riders are flying high and are on top of the IPL table and they face the Gujarat Lions whom they replaced on top, in game number 38 of the Vivo IPL 2016. Gujarat started off the IPL brilliantly winning 6 of their first 7 games since then they have lost three games on a trot. Whereas, Kolkata, who suffered two back to back defeats but have bounced back with two wins on the trot and will look to continue with their good form at their beloved Eden Gardens. The top two teams face off against each other, expect some fireworks from both the sides.
Venue: Eden Gardens
Match Date: May 8, 2016
Match Timings: 8:00 PM IST
If Kolkata Knight Riders bat first
Predicted score: 165 above
The USP of this Kolkata side has to be their opening pair of Gambhir and Uthappa. Both have been in sublime touch, if both of them get going it is very likely KKR will end up scoring big. Hence, breaking the opening partnership early will be a part of Gujarat’s plan to stop the KKR bandwagon. Even if the openers fail, the Knight Riders have the batting prowess to make it up. The likes of Pandey and Suryakumar Yadav or even a Shakin Al-Hasan shouldn’t be taken lightly, given the talent of these players with the bat, they can make even the best of bowling attack look ordinary.
Kolkata also has Pathan and Russell in their arsenal, we have already seen what those two can do with their bats. While Russell can muscle the ball away from the word go, Pathan has preferred to get his eye in before he unleashes himself upon the opposition.
The Kolkata bowling attack is one of the best in the IPL and any score put up on the board, Gambhir can bank upon his bowlers to defend it. Russell is leading the bowling attack for the men in purple and is currently the owner of the Purple Cap with 13 wickets. Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav have complemented his efforts with their disciplined bowling and while both of them have chipped in with the wickets, Yadav had proved to be costly at the death and that will remain a concern for KKR.
Chawla is the regular spinner in the side and his leg-spin will be partnered by Shakib with his left-arm orthodox spin and either Narine or Hogg will make up KKR’s spin trio. The Eden Gardens pitch tends to be slow and a turner and that is the case against the Gujarat Lions, the Knight Riders spinners will prove to be very important. Fancy them creating havoc in the Gujarat batting.
If Gujarat Lions bat first
Predicted score: 170 above
Gujarat batting line up boasts of the likes of Smith, McCullum, Finch, Raina, Jadeja, Bravo and the firepower these batsmen have, they can tear any bowling apart on their day. Smith and McCullum’s form have dipped in the last few games. The key for KKR will lie in getting these two early as the middle order hasn’t been at their very best for Gujarat expect for someone like Finch who has been regularly scoring runs for the Lions (before his injury).
It is high time that Suresh Raina comes into the party. The Gujarat Lions skipper hasn't been able to muster the form that made him the highest run-getter in the IPL. His susceptibility to the short ball has been exploited by all bowling teams and has too often led to his wicket.
Bravo and Jadeja the two all-rounders haven’t impressed with the bat at all. The Gujarat fans would be disappointed especially with Bravo's batting form. If things go Gujarat’s way expect them to score around 170 or above.
The Gujarat batsmen in the last few games failed to put up enough runs on the board for their bowlers to defend, but when given the chance the Gujarat bowlers have always managed to make a game out of paltry scores. Expect Raina and Jadeja to roll their arms over and ball along with Shivil Kaushik if the pitch favours the spinners. Pravin Tambe might be given the nod to strengthen the spin attack depending on the pitch.
Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, and Dwayne Bravo have been impressive with the ball and while they might not be the fastest of bowlers around, they have been very economical. They have impressed with their change-ups and will need to be at their best against a formidable Knight batting line up
Probable Winners: Kolkata Knight Riders
