Rajasthan Royals vs. Kolkata Knight Riders: 21st IPL Match Preview

Rajasthan Royals vs. Kolkata Knight Riders: 21st IPL Match Preview

Match Details  

Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders 
April 07 2019  
Sawai Mansingh Stadium - Jaipur, India  

Preview 

Rajasthan have managed to win just one game in their four outings in IPL 2019, while Kolkata Knight Riders are the in-form side, having registered three wins in four matches - with the loss coming in a Super Over against Delhi. The track at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium has traditionally been a belter, and with both sides having a number of big-hitters, a score around 190 can be expected.  

While Rajasthan have looked inconsistent in their batting and bowling department, Kolkata have been aided by the heroics of Andre Russell, who has bailed out the team match-after-match. Unless the home side can put in a better display on Sunday, the match can go in favour of KKR.  

Optimal Lineup

Player Recommendations

Wicket-keeper: Jos Buttler (10.5 credits)
Though KKR's Dinesh Karthik has done well in his limited chances, picking the Englishman is a no-brainer. Not only does he open the innings, which increases his chances of getting a big score, he is also the in-form player. Buttler has hit two fifties in the two home matches in IPL 2019, and has 139 runs in four games. In the last game against RCB, the opener made 59 from 43 balls, and his aggressive batting could be the key again.  

Batsman: Nitish Rana (9 credits) 
Rana started off this edition of the IPL with a bang, scoring two

Match Details  

Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders 
April 07 2019  
Sawai Mansingh Stadium - Jaipur, India  

Preview 

Rajasthan have managed to win just one game in their four outings in IPL 2019, while Kolkata Knight Riders are the in-form side, having registered three wins in four matches - with the loss coming in a Super Over against Delhi. The track at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium has traditionally been a belter, and with both sides having a number of big-hitters, a score around 190 can be expected.  

While Rajasthan have looked inconsistent in their batting and bowling department, Kolkata have been aided by the heroics of Andre Russell, who has bailed out the team match-after-match. Unless the home side can put in a better display on Sunday, the match can go in favour of KKR.  

Optimal Lineup

Player Recommendations

Wicket-keeper: Jos Buttler (10.5 credits)
Though KKR's Dinesh Karthik has done well in his limited chances, picking the Englishman is a no-brainer. Not only does he open the innings, which increases his chances of getting a big score, he is also the in-form player. Buttler has hit two fifties in the two home matches in IPL 2019, and has 139 runs in four games. In the last game against RCB, the opener made 59 from 43 balls, and his aggressive batting could be the key again.  

Batsman: Nitish Rana (9 credits) 
Rana started off this edition of the IPL with a bang, scoring two important knocks for his side and currently stands at 169 runs from four matches with a strike-rate of 159.43. He is a good player of spin, and could tackle the spinners with relative ease. Even last season, the player from Delhi occupied an important role in KKR's middle order. After the fall of early wickets, he would combine with Robin Uthappa and help the side through the middle overs. With KKR's openers struggling in 2019, his services could be needed once again. 

All-rounder: Andre Russell (10 credits) 
There is hardly anything that Russell cannot do in this season of the IPL. After starting off with a 19-ball 49 against SRH, Russell has continued his form to hand KKR wins from improbable positions. Against RCB, the West Indians struck an unbelievable 48 in only 13 balls with 7 huge sixes and a solitary four! Russell has faced only 77 balls thus far in this edition but has scored 207 runs at a strike-rate of 268.83. Along with the heroics with the bat, he has chipped in with the ball as well, picking up 5 wickets.  

Bowler: Shreyas Gopal (8.5 credits) 
Shreyas Gopal made waves with his performance for RR last season, and he has carried forward his form in 2019 as well. With the ball, the player has scalped six wickets, including claiming 3 for 12, which included bowling a maiden against RCB. The player has been economical as well, conceding runs at less than 6 an over, and he could hold the aces in the middle overs. 

Captain: Andre Russell
Vice-captain: Jos Buttler

Predicted Playing XI  

RR: Ajinkya Rahane, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shreyas Gopal, Varun Aaron

KKR: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Nitish Rana, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Lockie Ferguson, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Waris
This postgraduate in English Literature has taken on the tough task of limiting the mystic world of sports to a few hundred words. A self-confessed Kohli 'bhakt,' she falls in the category who believe that he has long surpassed the greats, yes even Tendulkar!
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