kolkata: In what promises to be a thrilling mid-table encounter, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the rescheduled 21st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Originally slated for April 6, the fixture was moved to Tuesday due to the Ram Navami festival. As a day game, the match is expected to present a different set of challenges, especially in terms of pitch behaviour and heat conditions.
Both teams come into the clash with momentum on their side, having registered convincing victories in their previous outings. KKR, currently placed fifth on the points table with a net run rate of +0.070, will look to build on their recent home success at Eden Gardens, where their middle-order finally clicked.
Ajinkya Rahane, leading the team from the front, has been in promising form but has yet to convert starts into significant scores. The trio of Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh and youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi impressed in the last game, bolstering the team’s batting depth.
On the bowling front, Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana have emerged as key assets, while Varun Chakravarthy continues to offer consistency and control.
However, KKR’s top-order remains a concern. Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock have both struggled to find rhythm, with the former often throwing away his wicket in aggressive fashion and the latter appearing to make mistakes in shot selection. The KKR think tank may need to reconsider their opening strategy, replacing the South African with Rahmanullah or hope for a turnaround in this high-stakes fixture.
Adding to the worries is the fitness of all-rounder Andre Russell. Despite picking up two wickets in the previous match, questions remain about his physical condition. His bowling lacked bite, and his batting has been far from convincing.
In the pre-match press meet, KKR assistant coach Otis Gibson, played down the form part and said it was still early in the season and sooner than later both Narine will find form with bat. Asked about the pitch, he said: “I hope it will play like the last game. But this being a day match the character of the pitch won’t change much during the course of 40 overs.”
He also praised the work ethics of Vaibhav and Harshit and how hard they worked with DJ Bravo. Talking about Russell he said that the cricketer had some overs left in him and he was a natural wicket-taker and could be used sporadically.
LSG, on the other hand, sits just behind KKR in sixth place with a net run rate of +0.048 and have the same points as KKR. The team boasts one of the most powerful batting line-ups this season, featuring the likes of Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni, and David Miller — all in formidable form.
Captain Rishabh Pant has shown commendable leadership, while the Akash Deep has strengthened the bowling unit. Shardul Thakur and Avesh Khan have also delivered consistent performances. Shahbaz Ahmad is also being considered for a spot in the playing XI.
