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The Knight Riders have been suffering from a potentially terminal disease called “choking”. It’s not that they’re not a good side. Their plans haven’t been executed correctly, their team selections have been flawed at best, and there is still the malaise of inconsistency to consider. The 2012 winners have looked extremely jaded this season, and their match-winners have never fired in unison. On top of this, they are now left to find adequately-skilled replacements for their key injured players. And in today’s mission-critical game against the Kings XI, some drastic changes are needed.
First off, the batting has been poor. Skipper Gautam Gambhir needs to return to his aggressive ways and be patient at the same time. To have any chance of winning, NZ wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum’s got to partner him at the top. The Otago batsman will look to make amends for his major blunder in the field in the last game, and he’s got to don the big gloves because there’s no one experienced enough to do so. I’d prefer to see Yusuf Pathan at number 3 & Laxmi Ratan Shukla at 4 (if the injured Manoj Tiwary sits out). Eoin Morgan & Rajat Bhatia are in decent nick, and they should take the next 2 slots. Young Debabrata Das is a safe bet at number 7, followed by the bowlers.
The bowling looked pretty ordinary without Brett Lee at the top. He should relish the chance of taking on his old side and his old Aussie teammates. Sunil Narine will once again be the go-to man for his side, supported by seamers Lakshmipathy Balaji & Rajat Bhatia. The Knights will also need to decide between Sachithra Senanayeke & Iqbal Abdulla – if McCullum plays, then Abdulla can make the side. The left-arm spinner will also be looking for redemption, and his subtle variations should be enough to trouble Punjab’s batsmen.
Conditions – The pitch will remain the same as it did in the MI game. It will once again be a question of Punjab’s bowlers vs Kolkata’s batsmen. Whoever holds their nerves will definitely have an advantage.
X Factor: Brendon Barrie McCullum. If he returns to open with the skipper, Eden Gardens may well see a repeat of his 158-run knock in 2008. He will be itching to make a mark on this IPL and complete a successful comeback from injury. Punjab’s formidable bowling line-up may not be enough to stop him when he’s on a rampage.
Predictions: The last time these two teams faced off, Kings XI ran out winners by 4 runs. KKR will look to arrest their slide, while the Men in Red & Grey will look to maintain their winning streak. The Kolkata outfit must get their combination right, execute their plans well and hold their nerves in case it goes down to the wire. I’d say that Punjab might just do a rare ‘double’ on Kolkata – call me blasphemous (after all, I am a KKR fan), but that’s how I see it. Expect a cracker of a game tonight!
