IPL 2024, KKR vs RR: Rajasthan Opt To Bowl First As Battle for Top Spot Heats Up; Check Playing XIs

Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will lock horns with Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 encounter at the Eden Gardens tonight. The winner of this high-octane match will claim the top spot in the points table.

KKR currently occupy the second position with a superior net run rate (+1.688) despite a hiccup against Chennai Super Kings. They bounced back convincingly in their previous match, thrashing Lucknow Super Giants by 8 wickets thanks to a blazing knock from Phil Salt (89* off 47) and a clinical bowling performance by Mitchell Starc (3-28).

Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, have shown glimpses of brilliance but also some vulnerability. After a close defeat against the Gujarat Titans, they secured a thrilling 3-wicket victory over the Punjab Kings in their last outing. Shimron Hetmyer’s heroics in the final overs sealed the deal for RR.

KKR hold a slight edge over RR in their historical head-to-head record, winning 14 out of their 28 encounters. At Eden Gardens, KKR boasts a dominant 6-3 win record against the Royals. However, RR emerged victorious in their most recent meeting, courtesy of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s record-breaking fifty.

The Eden Gardens pitch is expected to favour batsmen once again. High scores are expected, with bowlers needing to be disciplined to restrict the flow of runs.

Playing XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders: Philip Salt(w), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana

KKR Impact Subs: Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Vaibhav Arora

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(w/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Sen, Yuzvendra Chahal

RR Impact Subs: Jos Buttler, Kohler-Cadmore, Shubham Dubey, Navdeep Saini, Nandre Burger