IPL 2017: Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils, Game 32– Match Result Predictions

Kolkata Knight Riders will be high on confidence when they meet Delhi Daredevils at the Eden Gardens tomorrow. They have been played some exceptional brand of cricket over the past few days which have taken them to the No.1 spot in the points table. In their previous encounter against the Rising Pune Supergiant, KKR made light work of the big total and romped home with 2 overs to spare.

Robin Uthappa smashed a terrific 87 and was accompanied very well by captain Gautam Gambhir who scored a pretty 62. It was a magnificent performance by the batting department but the middle order hasn’t been tested too often which might not work in their favour during crunch situations. The ploy to go with Sunil Narine at the top of the order has worked wonders for as the southpaw has got them off to flying starts in most of the occasions.

He has played some proper cricket shots and has looked organised during his three breezy innings in the tournament so far. The bowling department has been led by Indian spearhead Umesh Yadav followed by Australian Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Woakes and Colin de Grandhomme. They were sensational during the clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore bowling them out for the lowest ever score in IPL history.

On the other hand, Delhi Daredevils hasn’t got their act going in the last few matches and have lost 3 on a trot. They are currently placed at the bottom of the points table but have only played 6 games compared to 8 or 9 of other teams. They still have a chance to get back to winning ways but they have to start the process fast.

A defeat again tomorrow will definitely tighten their chances of making it to the playoffs. It will be a monumental task for the Daredevils to overcome the Knights challenge in their own den. They have some terrific youngsters in their but have failed to gel as a unit in the last 3 encounters. After losing the opening game to RCB, DD made a strong comeback with consecutive wins but their 3 defeats on a trot have really left with a mountain to climb. So with the match coming up at 4 pm tomorrow look at the match predictions for the humdinger.

Here is what Crictracker predicts for the game:                   

Scenario 1: DD will win the toss

Toss Prediction: DD choose to bowl

First innings prediction: 190-200

2nd innings Prediction: KKR win by 24 runs

Scenario 2: KKR will win the toss

Toss Prediction: KKR choose to bowl

First innings Prediction: 170-180

2nd innings Prediction: KKR will win by 6 wickets (with 1.3 overs to spare)

Head to Head Record

Overall: Total Matches –18, KKR Won – 11, DD Won – 7

The two teams met earlier in the tournament where the Knight riders prevailed in a nail-biting thriller by 4 wickets and with a delivery to go. Since then Delhi has failed to get the winning streak back and has lost a couple of matches on a bounce. They will surely look to make a comeback tomorrow if they harbour of hopes of reaching the playoffs of the tournament.

Team Combinations

Kolkata Knight Riders

Given their brilliant streak off late, KKR is unlikely to tinker with their winning combination. Apart from Suryakumar Yadav, the batting department has clicked in some match or the other which has kept them in good stead. It has been an all-round performance by the team who have been led brilliantly by an inspirational captain Gautam Gambhir

Predicted XI: Gautam Gambhir, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Yusuf Pathan, Colin de Grandhomme, Chris Woakes, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav

Delhi Daredevils

Mohammed Shami hasn’t got a chance despite being fit and that is a big statement given by Zaheer Khan. Shami has been the undisputed leader of the Indian pace attack before he was shaken by injuries. He will be raring to go if he gets a chance tomorrow and will look to rattle a few stumps.

They have some exceptional players in the foreign department and after Kagiso Rabada’s brilliant innings against the Mumbai Indians, the DD team management might be tempted to persist with him. Sam Billings is also expected to e back at the top of the order given the brilliant pitch at the Eden Gardens.

Predicted XI: Sam Billings, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Karun Nair, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Pat Cummins, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan, Mohammed Shami

The odds are firmly tilted in favour of the hosts and an upset is a highly unlikely result given the two team’s form.

Do let us know your predictions in the comments section below