IPL 2019: Match 43, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals – Statistical Preview

The Kolkata Knight Riders have slumped after a great beginning as they lost each of their previous five matches. The Dinesh Karthik-led team started off with four wins in five matches with the only loss coming in a Super-Over finish. They will be up against another struggling team Rajasthan Royals who won only three of their ten matches. The fixture to be played at the Eden Gardens will be a must-win match for both as a defeat could bring down their chances of making it to the playoffs.

All the key stats and numbers ahead of the must-win game for both Kolkata and Rajasthan:

1 – Only once in the IPL that the Rajasthan Royals have won a game at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. They defeated KKR by six wickets in the 2008 season at this venue but never won again. The Royals played seven IPL matches at this venue since 2010 (6 vs KKR and 1 vs MI) and lost in all of them.

3 – Kolkata Knight Riders lost each of their previous three matches in the IPL at the Eden Gardens; the only instance of KKR losing three straight matches at their home venue in Kolkata.

4 – The Kolkata Knight Riders defeated the Rajasthan Royals in each of their last four meetings in the IPL. KKR defeated RR three times in three games during the 2018 season and during the away game in this edition.

5 – Knight Riders lost each of their previous five matches this season; their 2nd longest losing streak in the IPL. KKR lost eight in a row and spent nine matches without a victory during the 2009 season where they finished at the bottom of the table.

17 – Number of wickets for Piyush Chawla in the IPL against the Rajasthan Royals; the 2nd most by any player against RR behind the 27 wickets by Amit Mishra. Chawla picked up those 17 wickets in the 16 IPL matches against RR at an average of 24.35.

24.66 – Ajinkya Rahane’s batting average in the IPL against the Kolkata Knight Riders. In the 17 IPL innings he batted against RR, Rahane scored 444 runs with only two fifties.

42.8 – Steve Smith has a batting average of 42.8 in the IPL against the Knight Riders. Smith scored 214 runs across eight innings against KKR with help of two fifties including an unbeaten 73 either this season.

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