IPL 2018: 4 reasons why KKR might win the tournament

A disciplined Kolkata Knight Riders progressed into the Qualifier 2 of the IPL by defeating Rajasthan Royals by 25 runs. KKR started slowly with the bat as they lost three early wickets but made up for it later in the game with both the bat and the ball.

They now face a fancied Sunrisers Hyderabad at their home ground in Kolkata. With just two games to win, KKR might emerge as the surprise champions this season.

The fact that they have nothing to lose and everything to play for might take them over the line this season. Few people still have their money on KKR and here is why.$##

---

#1 The winning form

KKR have now won four games in a row

Yes, the boys from Kolkata have now made it four in a row. These four wins include two against RR, one against KXIP and one against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Since they have beaten Sunrisers recently, Dinesh Karthik and his men will back themselves to do it again. With momentum on their side, the men in purple will be high on confidence.

It was this winning momentum which almost worked for both Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore towards the end of the league stage. If KKR manage to beat Sunrisers in the Qualifier, it will be 5 in a row for the Knight Riders putting them in a very comfortable mental space before the big final.

#2 The spin department

Narine in action

As proved again in the eliminator, the KKR spin department is the most lethal in the league. Consisting of Kuldeep Yadav, Piyush Chawla and Sunil Narine, the spin cavalry of KKR is superior to both CSK and SRH.

Both Yadav and Chawla successfully mounted pressure on the RR batsmen forcing them to take risks and lose their wicket. It was a bad day in the office for Sunil Narine as he was bullied by an in-form Rahul Tripathi.

However, Narine needs to put this bad performance behind him and look forward to the game ahead. The three spinners have a combined 44 wickets to their name and are likely to add a few more in the game against Sunrisers. With the economical Nitish Rana as the change-up option, KKR have an edge over any batting line up.

#3 The strongest middle order

Dinesh Kartik will play a key role

Of all the three teams left in the tournament, KKR has the most consistent middle order. The right balance is imminent when you have two youngsters like Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill along with the calm Dinesh Karthik accompanied by the power hitter Andre Russell.

A brilliant example of their depth in this department is their win against RR. Moreover, Karthik being in form will be handy for the team as his ability to absorb pressure puts them in a stronger position to lift the cup.

Unlike Sunrisers, the strength of KKR lies in their ability to bat deep into the innings. Also, Andre Russell has the second highest strike rate in this edition of the IPL.

#4 Prasidh Krishna's death bowling

Krishna in Vijay Hazare Trophy

This might come as a surprise but this young pacer might do the trick for Kolkata. He is a wonderful card for Dinesh Karthik to play at the death. He has taken a total of 10 wickets in 6 matches most of which came in the latter part of the innings.

His ability to deceive has been an integral part of the KKR bowling attack. His slower and knuckleballs have made batsmen mistime their shots. It was his 18th over which cost RR the eliminator as Stuart Binny was unable to decipher his bowling variations.

Prasidh is the dark horse for KKR in this intense race to lift the cup. Sunrisers and Super Kings have to come up with a separate plan for Prasidh because if a strategy is not formulated, Krishna may cause havoc at the end of the innings.

---

Our tournament homepage has IPL live score, Match Analysis, Detailed Stats, Fantasy Tips, Controversies, Match Predictions and much more. Bookmark it now!