Insipid KKR take on dangerous Delhi Capitals in a bid to quickly reverse fortunes

The Kolkata Knight Riders will want to quickly dust off the humiliation from the game against RCB, and make one final push towards a playoff spot. With 3 of their last 4 games resulting in a loss, Kolkata now find themselves in the fight for the 4th place with the chasing pack having almost caught up. A win however and a recovery on the points table won’t come easy as their opponents for the night will be gunning for their 8th win of the season which more often than not means a sealed top 4 spot. To add to their woes, the Knight Riders have the worst NRR for any team in the competition.

Kolkata Knight Riders have endured a turbulent season. Dinesh Karthik stepping down and Eoin Morgan taking over has hardly been anything more than a vanity affair. Sunil Narine had been reported for suspect action, has since been cleared but still does not find a place in the team. Andre Russell’s fitness or lack of it has meant the Knight Riders are yet to find a settled eleven. Despite all the firepower they possess, KKR have only crossed the 180 mark once in the tournament in 10 attempts; the one occasion being an unsuccessful run-chase at Sharjah.

The Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, will be keen to wrap up a playoff spot, and a win against KKR would signal not only a top 4 position but an intent to push for a top 2 finish. With the other two teams in the top 3 - RCB and MI - both having only lost 3 games each, Delhi will be hoping to maintain their status. Delhi would be hurting from their loss against the Kings XI and will look to make amends. Shikhar Dhawan has hit the darkest shade possible of a purple form. After having broken the cursed century mark in the IPL, Dhawan made it 2 in 2. Dhawan has scored 333 runs in his last four innings, and everything he touches seems to be turning to gold.

However, Delhi will be hoping their middle-order soon hits consistent form in the remaining group games. Rishabh Pant has had a poor Dream11 IPL 2020 complicated further by an injury. Alex Carey’s forced inclusion in his place threw off the perfect balance they had in their middle order. With Pant returning, Delhi will once again look to build a steady eleven in the lead up to what should be a top 4 finish.

The last time the two teams met, the Delhi Capitals eased past the Knight Riders by 18 runs in Sharjah despite a few nervy moments towards the end when Eoin Morgan and Rahul Tripathi got going. On a much larger outfield in Abu Dhabi and on what will be a scorching Saturday afternoon, a tale of both teams 200+ seems highly unlikely, even more so considering KKR’s sinking fortunes.