IPL 2021: "Yes, KKR are favourites, but have to play their 40 overs pretty well" - Gautam Gambhir ahead of team's clash against RR

Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Gautam Gambhir has opined that KKR will head into the match against the Rajasthan Royals as the favorites but will have to play well during the 40 overs.

The Morgan-led side will arrive in Sharjah on the back of a hard-fought victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their previous game. Meanwhile, RR will want to forget their horrendous defeat to the Mumbai Indians in their latest encounter.

While speaking with ESPNcricinfo, Gambhir Gambhir previewed today's encounter between KKR and RR. The former cricketer-turned commentator said:

"Yes, KKR are the favorites ahead of this game but a tag is just a tag and nothing else. Regardless, the team has to play their 40 overs pretty well. Also, the match is in Sharjah, and very different things have happened there. It's not an easy pitch to play on."

Taking a dig at the inconsistent starting line-ups from RR, Gambhir said:

"You can never predict what playing XI RR will pick. I hope they pick a balanced playing XI, because the way they played their previous game against MI, was extremely one-sided."

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"Rajasthan's bowling line-up is very one-dimensional" - Gautam Gambhir

The former Indian opener also criticized RR's bowling unit and referred to it as 'very one-dimensional'. Gambhir also suggested that they bring South African all-rounder Chris Morris into their starting XI.

Morris, the most expensive buy at the 2021 IPLaAuction, hasn't had a second half of the season to remember, with zero wickets to his name since the restart. Gambhir backed Morris to get another opportunity in their last game of the group stages and said:

"Rajasthan's bowling line-up is very one-dimensional. You see Sakariya, Kuldip or even Jaydev, they are pretty much similar. I suggest they bring Chris Morris back into the side. He can provide the team with a bit of batting as well. Plus, he has that pace in his bowling which will help on this Sharjah surface. He was the most expensive purchase, so provide him with another opportunity."

The match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium will be an encounter of paramount importance for both sides as they hope to finish inside the top four in the points table.