Lucknow wary of dominant KKR’s all-round firepower
LUCKNOW: Lucknow Super Giants will have to bring its ‘A’ game forward to prevail against a dominant Kolkata Knight Riders when the two teams, marching towards IPL playoffs, clash here on Sunday.
With an all-round win by 24 runs over Mumbai Indians propelling the second-placed KKR to 14 points — one more step closer to qualification — the pressure will be on KL Rahul’s LSG to find a way past the threat that Shreyas Iyer’s side poses.
Lucknow Super Giants is placed just one rung below KKR at number three with 12 points from 10 matches with six wins and four defeats.
With a rampant Sunrisers Hyderabad (12 points) hot on its heels at fourth, followed by the dangerous Chennai Super Kings (10 points) and Delhi Capitals (10 points) on the points table, LSG will be under pressure to avoid getting into a mid-table battle as the race for the final-four has intensified.
LSG was far from convincing in its previous assignment at Ekana Stadium here as it was made to work hard in a modest 145-run chase by Mumbai Indians, winning by just four wickets in the last over.
Skipper Rahul and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis have been the key players for LSG and it remains to be seen if South Africa veteran Quinton de Kock is brought back in place of young Arshin Kulkarni, who opened the innings in the last game.
Even though he has gone without a fifty since the first game, Nicholas Pooran has consistently notched up crucial scores but LSG’s overall finishing skills is under question following its game against Mumbai Indians.
LSG seemed to have made heavy weather towards the end giving MI a real sniff by losing wickets in a flurry and completing its modest chase with some stutter.
Ayush Badoni has had a subdued run in this IPL and the uncapped Indian player would be keen to shrug off the rustiness.
LSG’s bowlers will also face a stern test with none of them making a real dent with individual brilliance in this IPL. LSG is also likely to be without express pacer Mayank Yadav.
Having lost only three of its 11 matches so far, it has taken something out of the ordinary to stop KKR in its tracks. CSK used a spin-friendly surface to eke out a win in Chepauk, while RR’s all-round class helped it pip KKR in a high-scoring thriller.
If anything, KKR’s bowling woes were exposed when Punjab Kings recorded IPL’s highest chase ever against it, but Iyer’s side has emerged strongly from that setback with two impressive wins.
However, having trumped MI on a sluggish wicket which exposed its batting frailties, KKR will aim for a much-improved performance with the bat.
For the second time in this IPL, KKR batters struggled when the ball did not come on to the bat and they were forced to change gears in order to build a strong target.