IPL 2017| Match 41 Preview: Kolkata Knight Riders Vs. Rising Pune Supergiant

05/02/2017

Stung by David Warner’s match-winning century for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last game, the Kolkata Knight Riders will look to get back on track against the Rising Pune Supergiant at the Eden Gardens tonight. But the two-time champions have their task cut out against a resurgent RPS side.

Kolkata Knight Riders were on the receiving end of a batting masterclass from Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper David Warner, as he scored a magnificent 126 off just 80 balls to lead his side to a 48 run victory on Sunday. And now, in their quest to get back to winning ways, KKR face a resurgent Rising Pune Supergiant side for whom, Ben Stokes proved why he is as the most expensive foreign player in IPL history with an unbeaten century in their last game.

Head to head:

Kolkata Knight Riders lead 3-0.

Last Meeting:

Kolkata comfortably won the reverse fixture at the MCA stadium in Pune with 7 wickets and 11 balls to spare thanks to Gautam Gambhir’s knock of 62 and Robin Uthappa’s contribution of 87.

Fan Predictions:

As part of the preview, we bring to you fan predictions for the talking points of the game. The predictions are sourced from the newest fantasy game on the block – Nostragamus. If you want to make your predictions and win prizes, click here.

Who will win?

KKR holds an advantage of 3-0 in the 3 Head to Head matches they have played against RPS in IPL. However, KKR had suffered a loss in their previous game, whereas RPS are coming off a victory. In this season, KKR have won 7 matches and have lost 3 matches, while RPS have won 6 matches and have lost 4. KKR hold the home advantage in this fixture as they have lost only 1 match home. Hence, we predict a close game between both the teams but KKR will come out on top.

Fans verdict: The fans agree, with 60% predicting the Kolkata will come out on top.

Which skipper will score more runs?

A. Gautam Gambhir B. Steve Smith

In IPL 2017, Gambhir has scored 387 runs in 10 games, while Smith has scored 324 runs in 9 games. But, in the 3 Head to Head games, Gambhir has scored 73 runs whereas Smith has scored 82 runs. But as Gambhir is an opener, he will get more time to spend on the pitch during the powerplay when compared to Steve Smith who comes 1 down. Hence, we predict Gambhir will outscore Steve Smith.

Fans verdict: The fans are siding with Gambhir for this one, with 65% believing that he will outscore the Aussie.

Predicted Playing XI:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir (c), Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa (wk), Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Darren Bravo, Colin de Grandhomme, Chris Woakes, Piyush Chawla, Umesh Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav.

Rising Pune Supergiant: Steve Smith (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tripathi, Manoj Tiwary, Ben Stokes, MS Dhoni (wk), Daniel Christian, Washington Sundar, Jaydev Unadkat, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir.

Key Players:

Gautam Gambhir: (KKR)- The Kolkata skipper has led by example so far this season, and is the second highest runscorer with 387 runs to his name. Moreover, having scored a half-century against Pune is the reverse fixture, he will be confident of carrying forward his good form with the bat.

Ben Stokes (RPS)- Coming off the back of a swashbuckling 103* off just 63 balls against the Gujarat Lions in the last game, the English allrounder will be brimming with confidence as he looks to help his side seal a spot in the playoffs.

Pre- Match Chatter:

Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

Time: 8 PM IST

TV Listings: Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Set Max, Sony ESPN