The second match in the Indian Premier League on Saturday sees the former champions Kolkata Knight Riders continuing their chase to the playoffs as they look to regain their title. They take on a Rising Pune Supergiants who are the only side eliminated from the reckoning so far.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata were going along quite nicely but they hit the skids in their last match against the Gujarat Lions last week when their top order was blown away and while they showed a maturity with the bat to post a total they never looked like having enough.
It has been six days since that match so the Knight Riders have had a chance to take stock and work out where they went wrong and they will be expected to come back all guns blazing here. A win will put significant distance between them and Mumbai who lead the playoff chase.
Rising Pune Supergiants
Injuries have hampered Pune in their debut season. Ajinkya Rahane and MS Dhoni aside the batting line up looks completely different to the one they had planned to field at the start of the season and inconsistency in team selection has led to inconsistency in performances which is never a good combination.
Despite all the changes to the batting line up it has actually been the bowling that has let Pune down this season which hasn’t been ideal but now they can’t qualify maybe they will find the freedom to risk their variations and have a good go.
Team news
Sunil Narine is expected to return from a finger issue for this match. He is likely to replace Brad Hogg and that could be key because I think the rest of the attack bowl with more intensity when they know they have Narine’s four overs to rescue them.
Pune might choose to give some squad players a go over the remainder of the tournament, particularly if they have any young Indian players that they want to blood into the event thinking ahead although this might not be the time to make wholesale swaps.
Form
Kolkata Knight Riders: WLWWWLLWWL
Rising Pune Supergiants: WLLLLWLLWLL
Head to head: Kolkata Knight Riders 1-0 Rising Pune Supergiants
In Kolkata: First meeting
Eden Gardens
There have been four matches on this ground in this tournament and if you ignore the first match where the Delhi batting got it all wrong they have generally been fairly high scoring and although the wicket has turned from time to time it has played well.
The short boundaries help the flow of runs and we’ve seen lots of boundaries hit here as the tournament has gone on. I see no reason why that trend won’t continue in this match.
Betting
The Knight Riders are worthy favourites in this match but they are slightly short given that Pune can play with a touch of freedom and have nothing to lose. This isn’t really a track to be hammering into odds on shots on even though I’d favour the home side.
The better bet to me is to take overs in sixes. The sixes total has been into double figures for each of the last three matches here and when you think Kolkata were 20 odd for four in the last game here that shows how short and accessible the boundaries are because you can’t take risks from that position.
There are plenty of genuine hitters on show in this match from Dhoni, Perera, Bailey etc to Pathan, Russell, Uthappa and Yadav and both bowling attacks have the ability to be sent the distance. The sixes line for this one is 10.5 but I’m expecting us to see at least a dozen sixes if not more especially with Pune now able to bat with freedom and under no pressure.
Tips
VOID – Back 11 or more sixes for a 4/10 stake at 1.91 with Bet365
Back it here:
