Having experienced a similar journey so far, Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants – home teams in their own rights – will engage in a duel of mid-table one-upmanship in the Indian Premier League at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday.
On their own grounds, KKR outplayed Sunrisers Hyderabad, while LSG pipped Mumbai Indians. Following a breather due to the postponement of the match from April 6, both sides would like to carry forward the momentum.
In a perfect setting, KKR will depend on its traditional supporters, whereas LSG will bank on its Mohun Bagan links to gain traction.
KKR found a fine combination against SRH. While the success of batters Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ajinkya Rahane and Rinku Singh is pleasing, maximising the firepower of Quinton de Kock and Andre Russell is desirable.
Also read | Sunil Gavaskar: Batters will have to find a new way to breach the red lights once again
Pacers Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana will dream of another fairytale start. Moeen Ali and mystery spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy will be keen to cast their spell on a slower track.
LSG too flaunts its share of mystery in Digvesh Rathi. Ravi Bishnoi and M. Siddharth are capable spinners too. Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan and Akash Deep provide good options in pace as the attack has started settling down.
Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh have contributed nearly 50 per cent of LSG’s runs. Captain Rishabh Pant, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad have the potential to destroy any attack.
Because of its familiarity with the conditions, KKR may stay ahead in an expected run feast on a hot afternoon.
