IPL 2022: Match 53 - Predicted Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI vs Lucknow Super Giants

The Kolkata Knight Riders will be locking horns with an in-form Lucknow Super Giants in Match 53 of IPL 2022 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on May 7. While Lucknow have been one of the most consistent sides and are currently placed at the second spot in the points table, Kolkata will be upbeat having registered a seven-wicket win over the Rajasthan Royals.

While KKR did get back to winning ways with an impressive victory over RR, they just cannot be complacent as this win had come after five consecutive losses. Thus, with time running out for the two-time champions they can no longer afford to slip any further which could adversely affect their qualification scenario at the business end of the league stages.

Here’s the predicted Playing XI of the Kolkata Knight Riders for Match 53 of IPL 2022:

Openers: Aaron Finch and Sunil Narine

Barring a half-century, Australian limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch has failed to make any impression on the 22 yards. He was sent back for just four runs to his name in the last game against Rajasthan Royals. Therefore, Finch would be hoping to make the most of his opportunities and live up to the expectations of the team management.

On the other hand, Sunil Narine is trying his level best with the ball in hand by bamboozling the batters but, when it comes to batting, the southpaw has not clicked so far and the move of promoting him as a pinch-hitter has not yielded any results either. He did not open the innings in the last match but the management might want to give him another chance to do so.

Middle-Order: Shreyas Iyer (c), Baba Indrajith (wk), Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh

Skipper Shreyas Iyer has blown hot and cold this tournament but he has been amongst the runs so far this season. He has amassed 324 runs from 10 matches including two half-centuries with his highest score being 85. He scored a vital 34 in the last game and would wish to showcase an even better performance. Baba Indrajith could only manage 15 runs against RR and would be hungry to score big when he takes on the Lucknow Super Giants bowling attack.

Nitish Rana has been the most consistent performer with the bat for KKR in the last two games and in fact, added finishing touches in the last game with an unbeaten 37-ball 48. Rinku Singh was the Man of the Match against Rajasthan for his quickfire knock of 42 runs from 23 deliveries. He was involved in an unbeaten 66-run stand for the fourth wicket with Rana.

All-Rounders: Anukul Roy and Andre Russell

Anukul Roy has not managed to create an impression with the bat but he did manage to make his presence felt with the ball in hand against the Royals as he accounted for Karun Nair and finished his quota with figures of 1/28. He would be hoping to make more contributions going forward.

Andre Russell is a proven match-winner and Kolkata’s backbone. He can change the course of the game with a whirlwind knock in the middle and death overs and can also deceive the best batters with his well-disguised yorkers. The former champions would be hoping that he roars back to form in all their upcoming matches.

Bowlers: Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, and Shivam Mavi

Umesh Yadav has been KKR’s most consistent bowler so far. Even though the senior pacer has gone wicketless on a couple of occasions, he has registered 15 wickets and is one of the strong contenders in the Purple Cap list. The Vidharbha fast bowler would look to continue his splendid run against Lucknow as well.

Tim Southee has also been really impressive with the ball in hand with 10 wickets from five appearances so far. The seasoned New Zealand campaigner would be expected to work in tandem with Umesh Yadav to rattle LSG’s famed batting line-up. On the other hand, emerging pacer Shivam Mavi would be looking to up his game having managed just four scalps from five outings this season.

Here’s the Predicted XI of the Kolkata Knight Riders: Aaron Finch, Sunil Narine, Shreyas Iyer (c), Baba Indrajith (wk), Nitish Rana, Anukul Roy, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Shivam Mavi.