Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be locking horns with each other in the 56th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, May 11. KKR must be high on confidence ahead of this game as they are coming on the back of a close win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) at home. Skipper Nitish Rana will be hoping his team to continue the winning momentum and make a stronger case for themselves to reach the playoffs.
KKR and RR will be locking horns with each other for the first time in IPL 2023 and hence, both the teams will be keen to take another two points. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals have ten points at the halfway mark and are currently placed 5th on the points table. Their batting looks formidable with both top order and middle order in great form, followed by an all-round bowling unit.
ALSO READ: Match 56 (KKR vs RR) – Playing XI And Fantasy XI Predictions
Skipper Sanju Samson will be hoping his team to get back to winning ways after suffering a loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and register a win against Kolkata. KKR has locked horns with RR in 27 games in which, KKR has pulled off 14 victories while Rajasthan has won just 12 games.
Here are three player battles to watch out for during KKR vs RR match:
#1 Sanju Samson vs Sunil Narine
When facing RR skipper, Sanju Samson, the Knight Riders may try a tactic similar to what they have done in the past. Samson has struggled against spinner Sunil Narine, who has dismissed him thrice in 78 balls in the IPL. Samson has only amassed 64 runs off Narine, including three fours and one six.
#2 Andre Russell vs Yuzvendra Chahal
The Rajasthan Royals may use Yuzvendra Chahal against Andre Russell, who played a crucial role in his team’s win over Punjab Kings with a 23-ball 42. Russell has a history of struggling against spinners, and Chahal has only dismissed him once in the IPL. However, Russell scored at an impressive strike rate of 216.21 against the leg-spinner, with 80 runs off 37 balls.
#3 Jos Buttler vs Varun Chakravarthy
KKR’s spinners, including Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Suyash Sharma, have been effective in IPL 2023. It remains to be seen if they will bring in mystery spinner Chakravarthy to face the dangerous Jos Buttler. Chakravarthy has dismissed Buttler a couple of times in 13 balls, but the batsman’s strike rate against him is 215.38.
