The table-toppers Rajasthan Royals (RR) will head over to the scenic Eden Gardens to face off against the Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) in match 31 of IPL 2024.
With both teams coming into the fixture on the back of a single loss and four victories in their last five games, the clash between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) promises to be a riveting contest between two teams occupying the first two positions on the points table for the time being.
KKR vs RR Previous match performances.
The hosts KKR would be arriving with a boost of confidence, having beaten the Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets and 26 deliveries to spare just a couple of days before they take on the incumbent table-toppers. Meanwhile, RR had to go through a nail-biter of a contest against the Punjab Kings, which ended up with them defeating the latter by three wickets with just the unitary delivery to spare.
First versus second. Bowling versus batting. On Tuesday at Eden Gardens, Rajasthan Royals, the team with the best combined economy rate in the IPL (8.33) will come up against Kolkata Knight Riders, the team with the second-best scoring rate (10.43 – Sunrisers Hyderabad leapfrogged them after this preview was published, climbing from 10.09 to 10.81 courtesy their jaw-dropping assault on Royal Challengers Bangalore).
Royals have an attack full of experience and guile that time and again comes away from games having controlled each phase of a bowling innings. KKR have a line-up of seemingly endless depth, thanks to a pair of ageless West Indian allrounders, which gives their batters almost limitless freedom to play their shots.
These are two very different teams, but they’re similar in how innovative they can be in tactical terms. If enough players on both sides click, then, this contest could be quite a feast for the viewer.
KKR vs RR Head to Head
It’s been a tough battle between the two teams over the years with KKR winning 14 matches and RR winning 13 of the 27 games, with both teams winning two games each in their last four encounters. At Eden Gardens, however, KKR have a 6-3 advantage over RR.
KKR vs RR Pitch Report
Eden Gardens has hosted a total of 84 IPL matches to date, with teams batting second emerging victorious in 50 of those encounters. Out of the 84 IPL matches hosted at Eden Gardens, the Kolkata Knight Riders have played 79, winning 47 of them, with 26 victories achieved while batting second. KKR have played nine matches against RR here so far, won six and lost two of those. The Rajasthan Royals have played ten matches in Kolkata so far and lost eight of those.
Eden Gardens has only hosted two games so far this season – a run-fest in late March where KKR narrowly defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad, and a lower-scoring outing on Sunday afternoon when KKR brushed aside a diffident LSG unit. It’s not a large enough sample size to draw too many conclusions from, but by and large the ball tends to come onto the bat here, and the outfield is lightning quick.
While the weather is expected to quite hot and humid during the day, don’t be surprised if it’s uncharacteristically breezy in the evening with some cloud cover. Dew should play a part, offering some assistance to the chasing team.
KKR vs RR Big Picture
First versus second. Bowling versus batting. On Tuesday at Eden Gardens, Rajasthan Royals, the team with the best combined economy rate in the IPL (8.33) will come up against Kolkata Knight Riders, the team with the second-best scoring rate (10.43 – Sunrisers Hyderabad leapfrogged them after this preview was published, climbing from 10.09 to 10.81 courtesy their jaw-dropping assault on Royal Challengers Bangalore).
Royals have an attack full of experience and guile that time and again comes away from games having controlled each phase of a bowling innings. KKR have a line-up of seemingly endless depth, thanks to a pair of ageless West Indian allrounders, which gives their batters almost limitless freedom to play their shots.
These are two very different teams, but they’re similar in how innovative they can be in tactical terms. If enough players on both sides click, then, this contest could be quite a feast for the viewer.
KKR vs RR Team News
Kolkata Knight Riders
Nitish Rana hasn’t featured for KKR since injuring his hand during their first game of the season, against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23. Rana was seen training ahead of their most recent game, against Lucknow Super Giants, and KKR will certainly be tempted to play him if he’s fully fit – particularly if R Ashwin is in the opposition (more on this shortly).
In the spotlight KKR vs RR
Harshit Rana was an unsung hero for KKR in their win over LSG on Sunday, his figures of 0 for 35 concealing how much of an impact he made by conceding just 16 off 11 balls to Nicholas Pooran despite their skirmish taking place during the 17th and 19th overs. Harshit’s changes of pace and use of the over-the-wicket angle to slant the ball away from the left-hander’s hitting arc were crucial to this, and he might need to call on those defensive skills again if he comes up against Shimron Hetmyer on Tuesday.
R Ashwin is a master against left-hand batters, but he’s not enjoyed bowling to two prominent KKR left-handers. Nitish Rana has hit him for 108 runs in 58 balls without being dismissed, while Sunil Narine has tonked him for 60 off 22 while being dismissed once.
Stats that matter
- Of the eight KKR batters to score at least 50 runs this season, six have 150-plus strike rates, and one has gone at 144.44. The exception to this rule of fast scoring has been Shreyas Iyer, whose 129 runs have come at 120.56.
- Yuzvendra Chahal has taken a wicket every 12 balls in IPL 2024, his best strike rate for any season of this tournament.
- Chahal needs three wickets to reach the 350 mark in T20 cricket.
- Avesh Khan has bowled the joint-most overs (10) at the death (last four) of any bowler in IPL 2024 alongside Mustafizur Rahman and Mohit Sharma, and his economy rate (9.30) puts him in the top half of bowlers who have sent down at least five overs in that phase this season.
- In two games at Eden Gardens so far this season, Sunil Narine has an economy rate of 4.50 across eight overs, and hasn’t conceded a single boundary. The other spinners in those games have gone for a combined 10.01 per over.
KKR vs RR – Probable Playing XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders: Philip Salt (wk.), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy
Impact Substitute: Rinku Singh
Rajasthan Royals:
Yashaswi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c & wk.), Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Rovman Powell, Keshav Maharaj, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact substitute – Kuldeep Sen
Fantasy Playing XI of KKR vs RCB : Philip Salt (wk.), Sunil Narine, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c & wk.), Riyan Parag, Andre Russell, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakravarthy.
Probable Best Batter: Rinku Singh
Even though Rinku Singh hasn’t really been on top of his game this season, the clash against RR might just be the much-needed breakthrough for him. As an Impact Substitute, he could come in and create some massive damage and is one to look out for.
Probable Best Bowler: Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal has been in fine nick throughout this tournament, already picking up 11 wickets in the six games so far. The expansive dimensions of the ground might just suit him, with Chahal playing nine matches at the venue since his debut in the 2013 IPL season, picking up as many wickets.
KKR vs RR Match Prediction
Scenario 1
Kolkata Knight Riders win the toss and opt to bowl.
Powerplay score: 55-65
First innings score: 185-195
Rajasthan Royals win the match.
Scenario 2
Rajasthan Royals win the toss and opt to bowl.
Powerplay score: 60-70
First innings score: 200-210
Rajasthan Royals win the match.