Venkatesh Iyer has been in sizzling form in his first-ever IPL season and has so far amassed 265 runs from eight matches at an average of 37.85. He has been at comfort against the new ball, unleashing his batting skills against the opposition bowlers in the initial overs of the match. Since he scored a 49-ball 67 against Punjab Kings, the KKR opener failed to cross over 40 runs in his last three outings, registering scores of 8,38 and 26. 

However,  the 26-year-old will be looking forward to giving a good start to the Kolkata Knight Riders, who are eyeing their third IPL title.

Shikhar Dhawan, who has been a consistent run-getter in the tournament, played a crucial role in DC’s run to the final of IPL 2020. The left-hand opener scored 618 runs and also became the first batsman in the tournament’s history to score two successive hundreds. Considering his prime form, which has been carried on from the last season, another 50-plus score might not be far away against Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 2. 

KKR registered a four-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator as Sunil Narine scalped four wickets and swung the game in favor of the Eoin Morgan-led side. A major highlight of Kolkata Knight Riders' resurgence since the start of the IPL 2021 second leg in the UAE, has been the brilliance of their balanced bowling attack. Spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy has been brilliant so far with their consistent bowling performances.