Sport | Cricket
Knight Riders looking to put Royals to the sword in IPL
Stung by two consecutive defeats, Kolkata Knight Riders will need to regroup when they take on a recharged Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium today.
- IANS
- Published: 00:45 May 1, 2008
Jaipur: Stung by two consecutive defeats, Kolkata Knight Riders will need to regroup when they take on a recharged Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium today.
After starting their campaign on a high with wins over Bangalore Royal Challengers and Deccan Chargers, the Sourav Ganguly-led Kinght Riders lost two consecutive matches against Kings XI Punjab and then a resurgent Mumbai Indians on Tuesday.
To add to their woes, the Knight Riders are missing the services of Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and New Zealand wicketkeeper batsman Brendon McCullum for the rest of Twenty20 tournament, after the duo returned to national duty. West Indian Chris Gayle has been ruled out of the competition because of a groin injury.
Intriguing battle
However, IPL fans will still be able to witness the intriguing battle between Ganguly and his counterpart Shane Warne.
Ganguly will be looking to Pakistani opener Salman Butt to fire, and will no doubt be hoping Debabrata Das can build on the promise he showed against the Mumbai Indians on Tuesday.
However. the skipper will have some worries about his bowlers as the Knight Riders attack has looked ordinary in their last two games.
Pakistani Umar Gul is available for selection, and he and his teammates will no doubt be hoping to put in an improved showing against a starless Royals batting line-up.
After their opening-match disaster against the Delhi Daredevils, Rajasthan Royals have recorded three consecutive wins in the IPL and have shot up to second in the table.
They will no doubt be looking to carry on that momentum against the Knight Riders.
Led by the charismatic Warne, the Jaipur outfit are suddenly looking like a formidable side.
Critics silenced
They silenced their critics when they defeated a strong Kings XI team by six wickets, with Warne playing a crucial part, picking up three wickets.
In their next outings, the Royals beat Kings XI and then stunned star-studded Deccan Chargers by chasing 215 in a thrilling match, which they won by seven wickets in their own backyard.
Unlike the Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals have no worries over the availability of their foreign imports.
A buoyant Royals team, already with its tail up with the inclusion of South African skipper Graeme Smith, has been further bolstered by England all-rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas's arrival.
All in all, it will turn out to be a real test of nerves for the Knight Riders and especially their high-profile coach John Buchanan, who needs to get his strategy right against the Royals if he hopes to turn around his team's fortunes.
As for Rajasthan, they will undoubtedly be bouyed by the support of the home crowd and their recent good form.
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