The most anticipated match of the Indian Premier League is finally round the corner. The stage is all set for the match of the season which will witness the city of Kolkata split into two rival blocks – blue and grey, and purple and gold. The Warrior Prince of the city, Sourav Ganguly must be contented with such a huge fan-base. As for the other Pune Warriors players, they will be overwhelmed by the support they get from this ever-so-fantastic Eden crowd, thanks to their captain. No matter whatever KKR captain Gautam Gambhir says publicly, he also knows that this match is a crucial encounter and not just another match! Both the teams will be eager to prove themselves in a battle of winning the hearts of the crowd!
However, irrespective of what percentage of Kolkata roots for PWI, the fact remains that it’s definitely advantage KKR. The Knights are on a high after a patchy start to the season while the Warriors continue to slide down the points table after yet another narrow defeat at the hands of the Mumbai Indians. But going into such a pulsating match, lots will depend on the Dada-factor and KKR needs to be wary of that one man who can turn tables round with his crafty captaincy!
Head-to-head
KKR leads the pack with two staright wins against Pune both times they met.
Players to watch out for
Gautam Gambhir : The KKR skipper is leading from the front and no doubt, he is in the form of his life. Today, he will have to be pretty careful and work out strategies to unsettle his opposition. Gambhir will face a real test as a captain when he walks into the field as the KKR skipper.
Sunil Narine : He has been the strike-bowler for the Knights, producing the good whenever required. He has a huge responsibility on his shoulder today and will be tested on how he counters the PWI batsmen who are known to play spin well.
Jacques Kallis : The big man needs to provide ample support to Gambhir in the top-order if Brendon McCullum fails. The Knights will also need him to roll his arms once the going gets tough. He needs to be a bit more economical with the ball to make it better for the team.
Sourav Ganguly : Nothing special needs to be said about him. The Prince of Calcutta would like to prove a point or two in front of the crowd of they city he belongs to. KKR needs to be careful against the capabilities of this Comeback King!
Robin Uthappa : He is in good nick and needs to keep it up for the sake of his team. He must mend his habit of getting out in the most crucial phases of the game. The Warriors will be hoping that he provides them a solid start with the bat.
Ashok Dinda : Another guy from Bengal who sparkled in the early days of this season is Ashok Dinda. Dinda has been superb under the auspices of Dada and it is mainly due to him that PWI managed a couple of wins in the early matches. He needs to do it big today for his Dada.
Prediction
If the weather doesn’t intervene, it must be an easy win for the Knights going by the form they are in. But the presence of the man and the Eden crowd supporting him may add to their nervousness. Lets see what the game has in store.
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