Struggling Royals battle for survival against high-flying Knights

Over the years, we have often heard cricketing pundits talk about the sport being a funny game or heard cliches by the captains or the team management on how momentum holds the key in the shortest format. 

Well, ask the two sides, who are all set to rekindle their rivalry on a gloomy evening on Thursday, May 10, at the Eden Gardens to keep their qualification hopes alive. 

The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League has been a tale of two spectrums for Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders. While the Nitish Rana-led side lost five out of their first seven games, they bounced back in a commanding fashion to win three out of their last four encounters. 

On the other hand, we have the finalists of the last edition, Rajasthan Royals who are in the midst of a dismal second half of the competition and starring at elimination. 

After recording four wins in the first five league matches, the Pink Army were touted to be one of the favourites to finish in the top two of the points table. 

However, things seem to have gone downhill for Sanju Samson and his side as they have lost five out of their last six encounters and will set foot at the iconic Eden Gardens on the back of a heartwrenching loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

The equation is simple for both sides: Win all their remaining fixtures to be in contention for the top four spots without worrying about the Net Run Rate. 

With stakes sky-high and their fate in the competition hanging by a thread, here are some of the significant factors that could decide the outcome of this high-voltage clash: 

Things to watch out for

The curious case of Shardul Thakur

The Knight Riders used the services of seven bowlers in their five-wicket win against Punjab Kings at this venue, but what was surprising was that Shardul Thakur was not handed the ball. 

The right-arm pacer has bowled almost 15 overs in the league and conceded 160 runs at an average of 40 and an economy rate of 10.8 runs per over with four wickets. 

While he missed out on a few games due to a niggle, the team management have opted not to use him with the ball on numerous occasions. 

Along with Andre Russell and Rinku Singh, Shardul is assigned to finish games for the Knight Riders down the order. However, his lack of usage in the bowling department has raised plenty of eyebrows among fans and the Indian team management, especially with the World Cup around the corner. 

Opening combinations in focus

One of the critical reasons for Rajasthan Royals' sublime start to the competition was the performance of their openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler. 

The opening combination has forged 850 runs in 11 innings at an average of 38.6 and a strike rate of 151, the third-best among all the teams. 

However, the same cannot be said about their counterparts as the numbers for the Knight Riders have managed 453 runs in 11 outings at an average of 20.6 and a strike rate of 129.8, the worst in the competition. 

There isn't any doubt that on a surface that will assist strokeplay early on in the innings, both units' opening combinations will hold the key in deciding the fortunes of their respective sides. 

Pitch & conditions

Over the years, Eden Gardens has been known to be a sluggish surface with the spinners coming into the game much more than the other venues. 

While the tweakers are still the game-changers for the sides in the middle-overs, considering the longer boundaries on offer, the wicket has also relatively been conducive for strokeplay. 

The average first-innings score at this venue is around 202, and the average winning total is around 220. Out of the 61 wickets to fall at this venue in 10 innings, spinners have scalped 32 (52.5%) while the pacers have picked up 29 wickets (47.5%). 

With quality spinners across two sides, expect a spin trial for the batters. 

Tactical nous

> Rinku Singh has been a revelation for the Knight Riders in this edition, with 337 runs in 11 innings at an average of 56.17 and a strike rate of 151.1. The southpaw has played some crucial cameos down the order to guide the team over the line on numerous occasions this season. 

While he has been brutal against pace scoring 241 runs in 139 deliveries at an average of 80.33 and a strike rate of 173.38, the corresponding numbers against spin are 96 runs in 84 balls at a strike rate of 114.29. 

With the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in the mix, Sanju Samson could use their senior spinners as soon as Rinku walks into bat. 

>Jos Buttler will hold the key for the Royals in their bid to post a formidable first-innings total or lay a solid foundation in the run chase. 

The right-handed batter will have to be wary of the Varun Chakaravarthy-threat as the mystery spinner has dismissed him twice in 13 deliveries, and this match-up could set the tone game early. 

Team combination

With a comprehensive win against Punjab Kings, Knight Riders will stick to the same playing XI, with Jason Roy or Suyash Sharma featuring in the side, depending on the toss. 

Kolkata Knight Riders: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana (Captain), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy 

Trent Boult missed out in the last game due to a niggle but expect him to slot his way back into the playing XI in place of Kuldip Yadav. 

Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (Captain and wk), Joe Root, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, R Ashwin, Sandeep Sharma, Murugan Ashwin, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal