The 53rd game of the IPL this season will see the Kolkata Knight Riders take on the Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens. It is the penultimate game for the hosts, whereas Rajasthan will play their last game today.
The Rajasthan Royals (1/1 at Sky Bet to win the game) have no option but to win this match after their previous loss to Bangalore, and then hope that the other results go their way. Of course, the equation is tougher for Sourav Ganguly’s Kolkata (20/21 at Boylesports), who not only need to win this one, but also defeat Mumbai Indians in the last match and by a convincing margin to go through to the next round.
Both sides are struggling with one or the other departments of the game. For the Kolkata Knight Riders, their fielding has been appalling, the bowling abysmal, and the batting has highly depended on the three batsmen; Ganguly (4/1 at Boylesports), Chris Gayle (3/1 at Boylesports) and Angelo Mathews (10/1 at Ladbrokes, all to top-score for their side), down the order. What has made it worse is that if the openers fire, more often than not the middle order has failed and vice versa, which has made Ganguly tear up his hair in frustration and call his team pathetic.
Brendon McCullum (4/1 at Boylesports to top-score for his side) has been afforded a couple of opportunities in which he has failed, but one gets the sense that this could be his day – if he survives the first five or six balls that is!
Rajasthan seemed to be bolstered by the presence of Shane Watson (7/2 at Boylesports to be the best batsman for the Royals), but somehow, the intensity seems to have tapered off a little in the previous couple of matches. Rajasthan may need to look into their middle order where Adam Voges (9/1 at Ladbrokes to top-score for his team) looks to be struggling a little, and a replacement is in order. Yusuf Pathan (9/2 at Boylesports to be the best batsman) also needs to bat with an uncluttered mind, while the rest of the middle order – the likes of Abhishek Jhunjhunwala (9/1 at Bet365) and Raut (20/1 at Sky Bet to top-score for their side) – will have to bat around him.
Nothing much to choose from between the two sides, especially, given that on their day, guys like Gayle, McCullum, Watson and Pathan can win matches on their own.
Tips:
Favourites: Rajasthan Royals (1/1 at Sky Bet)
Top Rajasthan batsman: Yusuf Pathan (9/2 at Boylesports)
Top Kolkata batsman: Brendon McCullum (4/1 at Boylesports)