IPL 2021: Match 54, KKR vs RR Match Prediction – Who will win today’s IPL match?

Preview

Kolkata Knight Riders are set to lock horns with Rajasthan Royals in Match No.54 of the 2021 Indian Premier League on Thursday, October 7 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah. The Knight Riders, led by Eoin Morgan, are in with a good chance of qualifying for the playoffs with a net run rate of 0.294.

But if they lose their next game, they will have to depend on Mumbai Indians going down against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Royals aren’t in the best of form and the Knights will be looking to seal their playoffs berth in their next game itself. In the UAE, the Men in Gold and Purple have played well.

RR, captained by Sanju Samson, still have a chance to make it to the playoffs. But the eight-wicket loss at the hands of MI dashed their hopes big time. Their net run rate of -0.737 is the worst among all the teams in the competition. In their previous meeting against KKR, they won by six wickets.

Match Details

Match – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals – 54th match

Venue – Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

Time – 7:30 PM IST, 02:00 PM GMT

Where to watch live – Star Sports Network, Hotstar

Pitch Report

The pitch in Sharjah hasn’t been an easy one for batting thus far in the tournament. Scoring runs in the first six overs will hold a lot of importance. The spinners are expected to play a critical role. Chasing should be the way forward.

Avg first innings score: 132 (7 matches in the IPL 2021 at Sharjah)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 5, Lost – 2, Tied – 0

Probable Playing XIs:

Kolkata Knight Riders

Venkatesh Iyer, Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (C),Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Tim Seifert/Shakib Al Hasan, Tim Southee, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Mavi

Bench: Karun Nair, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Shakib Al Hasan/Tim Seifert, Ben Cutting, Pawan Negi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Andre Russell, Sheldon Jackson, Harbhajan Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sandeep Warrier, Vaibhav Arora, Sandeep Warrier, Lockie Ferguson

Rajasthan Royals

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (c, wk), Evin Lewis, Glenn Phillips, Mahipal Lomror, Shivam Dube, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Kartik Tyagi/Kuldip Yadav, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman

Bench: Akash Singh, KC Cariappa, Shreyas Gopal, Mayank Markande, Oshane Thomas, Kuldip Yadav/Kartik Tyagi, Manan Vohra, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jaydev Unadkat, Chris Morris, Liam Livingstone, Riyan Parag

Head-to-Head

Overall

Played – 24 | Kolkata Knight Riders– 12 | Rajasthan Royals– 11 | N/R – 0

In the UAE

Played – 3 | Kolkata Knight Riders– 2| Rajasthan Royals– 1 | N/R – 0

Probable best batter of the match

Venkatesh Iyer— Kolkata Knight Riders

Venkatesh Iyer has been a revelation for the Knight Riders in the ongoing edition of the IPL. In six matches, the left-handed batter has already racked up 201 runs at an average of 40.20 and a strike rate of 134. Although he failed to score against the Sunrisers, he is more than capable of making up for it against the Royals. Not to forget that he is more than handy with the ball.

Probable best bowler of the match

Varun Chakravarthy– Kolkata Knight Riders

Varun Chakravarthy has been excellent for the Knight Riders in the UAE leg of IPL 2021. He is currently the leading wicket-taker for Morgan and Co. having picked up 15 wickets from 13 games at an economy rate of 6.73. Even as in India he wasn’t all that success, Chakravarthy has made amends in the second half. The Royals’ batters may not find it easy for face him.

Today’s match prediction: Kolkata Knight Riders to win the match.

Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.