IPL 2019: Power-packed opening combos to treat fans

KKR's Andre Russell trains at the Eden Gardens. Pic/PTI

Phew! That sigh of relief is suddenly a common thread running through Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab before today's showdown at the Eden Gardens. A day after the Knights left Sunrisers Hyderabad shell-shocked with a late charge here, Kings XI denied Rajasthan Royals with a flurry of wickets after all seemed lost in Jaipur on Monday.

The two remarkable come-from-behind victories did not just provide right starts to the two campaigns but have spiced up what had already promised to be an intriguing contest.

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle present a most potent opening combo, and the bad news is that Gayle underlined his recent good form with a 47-ball 79 on Monday. Rahul, one of the top-scorers last season, carries that ominous potential. The Knights too have explosive openers. Nitish Rana, promoted to partner power-hitter Chris Lynn on Sunday after Sunil Narine injured a finger in his bowling hand, showed he is up for the task. It will be fascinating to find out how two well-endowed bowling units address these early threats.

Narine, who had suffered soft-tissue injury, bowled at the nets yesterday. The afterglow of Andre Russell's brilliant batting on Sunday and young Shubman Gill's calm collaboration under pressure provides KKR reassurance from the middle-order but it's the bowling that would have left the camp a trifle worried.

On a fine batting track, where the margin of error is small, the KKR attack lacked a plan on Sunday though they did pull things back in the death overs, conceding just 37 in the last four overs. Lockie Ferguson, in his first year with the franchise, was happy with how it went. "It was very pleasant how we went about the death overs, especially after they got off to a good start," the New Zealand pacer said. All eyes, of course, were on Russell at the practice. The burly West Indian was seen using a helmet that had a camera to record bowlers.

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