Daredevils hope for lift at pace-friendly Eden Gardens
Match facts
Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils
Kolkata, April 28, 2017
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)
Head-to-head
This season: Kolkata Knight Riders completed a stunning comeback, from 21 for 3, to chase 169 with one ball to spare at the Feroz Shah Kotla. With eight runs required off the last three balls, Manish Pandey struck a six, followed by a bunt into the covers to finish the chase.
Overall: In 19 games between these two teams, Knight Riders have won 11 times. At the Eden Gardens, Knight Riders have won five of six games, their only loss coming in 2012.
In the news
With Knight Riders moving back to the Eden Gardens, Nathan Coulter-Nile is expected to reclaim his spot in the XI, at Darren Bravo's expense. Knight Riders are likely to persist with the same bowling combination that demolished Royal Challengers Bangalore for 49.
Daredevils signed Marlon Samuels as Quinton de Kock's replacement, but he is expected to join the squad only on April 29. A relaid surface at Eden Gardens, favouring seam more than spin, could mean Daredevils stick with their overseas combination - Corey Anderson, Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris and Pat Cummins - from their loss against Mumbai Indians.
The likely XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa (wk), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Suryakumar Yadav, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Umesh Yadav
Delhi Daredevils: 1 Aditya Tare, 2 Sanju Samson, 3 Karun Nair, 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Zaheer Khan (capt), 11 Amit Mishra
Strategy punt
Zaheer Khan has the third-worst economy rate in the IPL this season outside the Powerplay (9.91). In the Powerplay, Zaheer has an economy rate of 6.45 this season, the fourth best among all teams and best for Daredevils. Zaheer has also dismissed Gautam Gambhir six times in the IPL. A mixture of slower balls and his wiles could make him effective against Sunil Narine as well. Zaheer could, therefore, bowl three overs within the Powerplay, leaving their overseas seamers to bowl in the end overs.
Stats that matter
- Sunil Narine has dominated Daredevils' top order in the IPL. In a combined 56 balls against Sanju Samson, Karun Nair and Corey Anderson, he has conceded just 49 runs with three dismissals.
- Chris Morris has been Daredevils' end-overs specialist with both bat and ball. He has scored 319 runs in just 173 balls in the end overs in the IPL, at a strike rate of 184.39 and an average of 53.16.
With the ball, he has taken 29 wickets in 36 innings at an economy rate of 8.18. - Narine has scored 89% of his runs this season in boundaries. He has hit 122 runs of his 137 in fours and sixes.
- Rishabh Pant hits a boundary nearly every two dot balls he faces in the IPL. He has hit 44 boundaries - 28 fours and 16 sixes - and has faced 90 dot balls.
- Robin Uthappa has struggled against Daredevils' bowlers in the IPL. He has been dismissed nine times in the 134 combined balls he has faced from Chris Morris, Amit Mishra and Zaheer Khan. He has scored just 139 runs in those 134 deliveries.