KKR vs LSG: Can Kolkata beat Lucknow in their Home Ground Eden Gardens?

This Sunday, Eden Gardens in Kolkata sets the stage for a thrilling IPL 2024 encounter as the two-time champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), face the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). KKR, led by mentor Gautam Gambhir, seeks a victory to boost their playoff chances in what is their first home match of the season.

Both teams have had a mixed start with three wins each but suffered setbacks in their recent games. KKR’s reliance on key players like Andre Russell and Sunil Narine was evident in their last match against Chennai Super Kings, where they faced a disappointing loss.

KKR will be without Nitish Rana due to a finger injury, which may impact their batting lineup. LSG faces a similar challenge, missing fast bowler Mayank Yadav because of a muscle strain, complicating their bowling strategy.

KKR vs LSG: Can Kolkata beat Lucknow in their Home Ground Eden Gardens?

KKR captain Shreyas Iyer has had a subdued season, and alongside Venkatesh Iyer, needs to step up to stabilize the middle order. Young talent Angkrish Raghuvanshi is another one to watch, following a promising knock in his last outing. For LSG, the duo of Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul needs to deliver significant innings to set a strong foundation, while all-rounders like Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran are expected to contribute crucial runs and wickets.

Mitchell Starc’s form worries KKR as the pacer has been expensive in early games. LSG’s replacement bowler, Arshad Khan, also struggled in his last match, adding pressure on their bowling unit.

Teams:

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (captain), Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, Yudhvir Singh, Prerak Mankad, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Shamar Joseph, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, K. Gautam, Arshin Kulkarni, M. Siddharth, Ashton Turner, Matt Henry, Mohammad Arshad Khan.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (captain), KS Bharat, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Chetan Sakariya, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, Saki Husain, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.