FANTASY PREVIEW
Follow UsAfter five successive defeats, Kolkata Knight Riders will set foot at the Wankhede Stadium with their fortunes hanging by a thread. The Knight Riders will lock horns against one of the most consistent sides in this edition of the Indian Premier League, the Rajasthan Royals in an evening encounter.
In the nine games played thus far, the Royals have won six matches and are third on the points table with 12 points. On the other hand, Knight Riders are in the bottom half of the table with only three wins and six points.
With a minimum of 16 points required to secure a place in the playoffs, the Shreyas Iyer side needs to win all their remaining matches to stay in contention for a spot in the final four. The Royals need two wins in the five fixtures to consolidate their place in the playoffs.
SUGGESTED TEAM
While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.
GROUND DETAILS
In the 24 innings played thus far at the Wankhede Stadium, the average first innings total at the venue is around the 172-run mark, while the average first innings total is 188.
With the ball, the pacer have been more effective and picked 70.9 percent of the wickets compared to 29.1 percent by the spinners. The fast bowlers have scalped 90 wickets out of the 127 wickets with an average of 3.8 wickets per innings compared to 37 wickets at an average of 1.5 wickets per innings by the spinners.
SUGGESTED CAPTAIN
Jos Buttler
One of the most destructive batters in this format, Jos Buttler, has taken this edition of the Indian Premier League by storm. With 566 runs in nine innings at an average of 70.75 and a strike rate of 155.1, Buttler is the leading run-scorer of the tournament.
The wicket-keeper batter smashed three scintillating hundreds and will enter this crucial encounter riding high on confidence after his half-century against Mumbai Indians.
With the rest of the batting unit struggling for runs, the onus of the side will rely heavily on the shoulders of Buttler, and he will look to maximise his form and guide Rajasthan over the line.
Our Criclytics player projector predicts Buttler to score 42-62 runs in this match.
X-FACTORS
Shreyas Iyer
The skipper of the Knight Riders is the leading run-scorer for the side, with 290 runs in nine innings at an average of 36.25. Despite starting the season in a sedate fashion, Shreyas has played crucial knocks in the nine innings to help the team post a decent first inning total or guide them closer to the target.
With the opening combination of the team struggling for runs, Shreyas has been crucial to the fortunes of the side, coming in at number three. The 27-year old will be one of the vital cogs for the side in their bid to turn things around and get back to winning ways.
Our Criclytics player projector predicts Iyer to score 33-49 runs in this match.
Ravichandran Ashwin
Rajasthan have the most lethal spin combination with Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in the ranks. The off-spinner has been brilliant down the order with his cameos and helped his skipper pick up vital wickets in the middle overs to dent the opposition.
The off-spinner has scalped eight wickets in nine matches at an economy rate of 7 runs per over and will be crucial for the side, considering the number of oppositions in the Knight Riders batting unit.
Our Criclytics player projector predicts Ashwin to pick up 2-3 wickets in this match.
Sanju Samson
The captain of the Royals, Sanju Samson, has been one of the most elegant batters in the modern era. With 244 runs in nine innings at an average of 30.5, Samson is the second-highest run-scorer for Rajasthan in the competition.
While he has not set the stage on fire with his destructive ability, the right-handed batter showcased glimpses of great things to follow in the last couple of games.
The team would rely on him to continue scoring runs at a brisk pace and power them over the line or help them post a formidable first-innings total on the board.
Our Criclytics player projector predicts Samson to score 23-35 runs in this match.
