 The fifth season of Indian Premier League enters its tenth day as Kolkata
Knight Riders host Rajasthan Royals on Friday. Both sides, in their
last match, faced results that they had not been used to in the preceding matches.
Kolkata Knight Riders finally have points on the board, having secure their
first win in the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. While the victory
was welcome reward for trying patiently, there are problem areas for Kolkata
nevertheless. Only their top three batsmen reached double-figures as they ended
up with 165-8, a score that could have been much higher. The last 40 balls of
the innings yielded only 40 runs for the loss of seven wickets. The misfiring
Yusuf Pathan is a worry for the Knight Riders but they will be hoping
he comes good against his former franchise with whom he scored a 37-ball century
as well. Lakshmipathy Balaji starred with four wicket while Jacques Kallis
and Shakib Al Hassan are a potent force in the line up.
Click for Live Score Card of Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Jaipur Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals, after two convincing wins, ran into a fiery Mumbai Indians
outfit and lost by 27 runs on Wednesday. While they are still reasonably placed
in the points table at fifth position, they would want to avoid any regular
glitches to hamper their campaign. Their bowling continues to be the weak link
as a total of 197 was always going to be too much for the batsmen. In reply,
early wickets pegged them back but Owais Shah showed his class with a
42-ball 76. He will be charged up for the match against his former franchise
that did not play him in any match. Brad Hogg made an impressive case
for himself with two wickets.
Eden Gardens in Kolkata will host the match in what is expected to be a largely
sold out encounter. Moreover, Kolkata's celebrities brigade including owner Shahrukh
Khan are expected to cheer the players on from the stands.
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