Kolkata Knight Riders will want to get over mid-season blues and put their campaign back on rail
Andre Russell
A turnaround will be the task on hand for both Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) when they meet at the Eden Gardens tonight. Having lost seven of their eight matches, RCB have no option but to win the remaining six. The Knights will want to get over mid-season blues and put their campaign back on rail. Three consecutive defeats have sown the seeds of doubt, and the path to the playoffs suddenly seems full of potholes.
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The danger RCB pose for opponents stems in no small measure from the 'hopeless' situation they find themselves in. The nothing-to-lose attitude that the Bangalore outfit is likely to bring to their game now is, ironically, in cinch with the demands of T20 cricket.
KKR will no doubt be wary of this absence of inhibition in their opponents, particularly in the light of RCB's potential and KKR's own anxieties. One of them is rooted in concerns over Andre Russell.
The burly West Indian, KKR's most devastating batsman, is keeping the team management sweating after he picked up another injury, this time at nets on Wednesday evening. Struck on the left shoulder by a bouncer from Mumbai bowler Minad Manjrekar, the Jamaican skipped practice on the eve of the match. "An x-ray has been done; we'll take a call tomorrow" was all KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik was ready to reveal about Russell's availability for the crucial clash.
Russell, 30, who has had several injury scares this season, had won the match in Bangalore all but single-handedly with an awe-inspiring innings after all seemed lost for KKR.
Also read: IPL 2019: Andre Russell is weak against the turning ball, says Kuldeep Yadav
The Knights, of course, have some serious firepower in their line-up, and Karthik will be hoping it comes good tonight. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers can make any batting line-up look ominous and RCB have added firepower to the attack. Dale Steyn, named in the South African World Cup squad yesterday, has flown in to join Kohli & Co.
Bowling coach Ashish Nehra was around to inform that the pacer has "very high chances" of playing tonight. Young Navdeep Saini, a stand-by for the Indian World Cup squad, would be another one to watch. It is just as well that the Eden track lends itself nicely to their craft these days.
Also read: IPL 2019: RCB will seek to stay afloat when they clash with KKR
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