Knights look to topple Kings

Kings XI, captained by KL Rahul, is at the foot of the table with just two points from six matches, while Knight Riders has six points from five games. KXIP will once again rely on its opening combination of Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, who have scored almost 600 runs together. If big hitter Chris Gayle recovers from food poisoning, he will make his first appearance this season. The inconsistent Glenn Maxwell is likely to make way in case Gayle is ready.

Nicholas Pooran showed what he is capable of against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and will look to play his shots freely. Bowling has been a huge concern for Kings XI.

Mohammed Shami and Sheldon Cottrell have been off colour recently, failing to pick wickets in the powerplay overs. The inclusion of Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman did not make a huge difference against SRH. And so, the entire bowling contingent would hope to deliver its best.

Despite a couple of losses, Kolkata is gradually emerging as a strong contender for the title. Shubman Gill has made a name for himself as an opener while his partner Rahul Tripathi celebrated his promotion to the top of the order with a match-winning half-century.

KKR boasts of a fluid middle-order, consisting of Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan, captain Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell. It will aim to click as a unit and contribute heavily for the team’s cause. In the bowling department, spearhead Pat Cummins will be assisted by Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi.

Spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy are in top form and the pair would want to control the key overs against Kings XI.