Time for some spin

Shreyas Gopal has come into the attack. Time for some spin here. Kolkata Knight Riders have not got off to a flying start but this partnership here between Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill will be the key.

Tom Curran to Nitish Rana – FOUR!

FOUR! Pitched it wide and full and Nitish Rana opened his full face of the bat to show Tom Curran that he cannot bowl there.

IPL 2020 Live Score: Tom Curran into the attack

Tom Curran has been brought into the attack. He is in good form at the moment and will be eager to get a wicket here. Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana are in good form at the moment.

Unadkat to Narine – BOWLED!

GONE! Jaydev Unadkat bowled it slow and straighter to Sunil Narine, and the batsman went into his slog too early. Missed it completely and the ball knocked down the bails. KKR 36/1

Unadkat to Narine – SIX! FOUR!

SIX! A slow delivery from Jaydev Unadkat, and Narine is very comfortable with these ones. He struck it hard and long for another maximum. Gives himself room, and hammers it for a boundary.

4 overs gone

Jaydev Unadkat into the attack – Jaydev Unadkat is into the attack against Sunil Narine. He is looking for a wicket here. Still no wickets in this season for Unadkat.

Ankit Rajpoot smashed for boundaries

Ankit Rajpoot has been smashed for two boundaries in the over – one by Sunil Narine and one by Shubman Gill. This is finally a good over for KKR.

DROPPED! Sunil Narine struggling here

Sunil Narine is struggling to get going and connect the bat with the ball. He tried to sky a big one for a six – but it has been dropped by Robin Uthappa.

First change for Royals

Jofra Archer has been replaced by Jaydev Unadkat. Shubman Gill hit it straight – shouts of catch it, but it was wide away from Robin Uthappa. Good effort to dive and stop the boundary. Just a single.

IPL 2020 Score: Rajpoot to Gill – SIX!

SIX! Ankit Rajpoot pitched it fuller to Shubman Gill and the KKR batsman just went straight, under the ball, and it goes the distance. Fabulous shot from Shubman Gill. KKR 9/0

Jofra Archer off to fantastic start

Jofra Archer has been fantastic in the first over, smashing close to the body and not allowing KKR batsmen to get going. Just 1 run. Here comes Ankit Rajpoot at the other end.

Jofra Archer to Shubman Gill

Jofra Archer showcasing his intent as he is bowling with brute force to the youngster. Shubman not bowing down and solidly punching the ball down. Good start all around.

HERE WE GO!

Shubman Gill and Sunil Narine out to open the innings for Kolkata Knight Riders. Jofra Archer starts the bowling attack for Rajasthan Royals. HERE WE GO!

RR vs KKR – LIVE!

Here is our prediction of the match:

Aritra Mukherjee: RR are out of the comfort of Sharjah for the first time. I’ll go with KKR. They just look a better balanced side and they have the bowlers to the stop RR’s top three of Buttler, Smith and Samson.

Karan Prashant Saxena: No one should doubt what Steve Smith could do. He has led Royals beautifully this season and he can do wonders with the bat. Smith’s Royals will win this match and IPL 2020. Mark my words.

Should Sunil Narine open with Shubman Gill?

Sunil Narine has not been off to the best of start with bat. I think KKR should give up on Narine as an opener formula. It is not working. The surprise factor is gone. Players have figured how to tackle him.

Brian Lara on Shubman Gill

“Shubman Gill looks like a leader. He taken command of open slot. He is an attacking player. He shows a lot of maturity. I like him. Great batsman to opening the batting,” says Brian Lara on Star Sports.

Game Plan: How to stop Andre Russell

Brett Lee reckons that one of the way to stop Andre Russell is to bowl him bouncers when he comes out to bat. He struggles early on with bouncers.

Stats attack

· 10: RR have lost 10 matches against RR only against CSK they have lost more matches.

· 100: runs David Miller needs to complete 7000 T20 runs.

· 88: Morgan is 88 runs away from reaching 1000 runs in IPL.

· 2: more wickets Ankit Rajpoot needs to complete 100 wickets in T20s.

· 6: more wickets Andrew Tye needs to reach 200 T20 wickets

· 2: Pat Cummins is 2 wickets away from completing 100 wickets in T20s.

· 3: Lockie Ferguson is 3 wickets away from completing 50 wickets in T20s.

· 3: Eoin Morgan is 3 sixes away from completing 300 sixes in T20s.

o He will become the 1st English cricketer to achieve this feat.

· 4: Morgan needs 4 fours to reach 500 fours in T20s.

· 4: Andre Russell is 4 wickets away from completing 300 wickets in T20s.

· 4: Sandeep Warrier is 4 wickets away from 50 wickets in T20s.

· 16: Kuldeep has taken 6 wickets against RR at an average of 16

o This is his best average against a current IPL team.

· 56: Unadkat has an average of 56 against KKR, only against CSK he has a worse average.

· 67.5: Smith has scored 135 runs in his last 4 innings against KKR at an average of 67.5.

· 47: Morgan’s average against RR, his most against any IPL team.

· 35.33: Narine’s bowling avg against RR, among current IPL teams only against SRH Narine has a worse

average.

· 48: Jofra Archer’s strike rate, worst in the IPL so far

KKR vs RR, IPL 2020 Live: TEAM NEWS

Both the teams are playing the same team and have made no changes to the playing XI.

Teams:

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Kamlesh Nagarkoti

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Jos Buttler(w), Steven Smith(c), Sanju Samson, Rahul Tewatia, Robin Uthappa, Riyan Parag, Jofra Archer, Tom Curran, Shreyas Gopal, Ankit Rajpoot, Jaydev Unadkat

KKR captain Dinesh Karthik at the toss

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Dinesh Karthik: “Okay with batting first. Looks similar to Abu Dhabi but it plays different. Sharjah is a completely different fish but these two are similar. The brand of cricket we played the other day was something I’m proud of. Same team.”

RR captain Steve Smith at the toss

Rajasthan Royals captain Steve Smith at toss: “Will have a bowl. That boundary’s big, certainly compared to Sharjah which was a postage stamp. Certainly have to adapt. Watched the Super Over the other day. Exciting to play on a different ground. Have played some good cricket. Boys in a good place. He was under the pump but just turned it around and had such belief in the end. Same team.”

IPL 2020, RR vs KKR: Toss updates!

TOSS UPDATES! Dinesh Karthik and Steve Smith out in the middle for the toss.

RR win toss, elect to bowl.

Pitch Report

Simon Doull and Michael Slater on Star Sports: We are back in Dubai and we have the same pitch that was used two nights ago with a day in between. Rolled in grass, very firm underneath and we know that batting was really starting to work here. It is hard for the bowlers. This particular ground, the spinners are really starting to take control. They have taken more wickets and bowled less than the quick bowlers, they are really starting to play a role. Biggest ground we have got. W have a great illustration of what happens in Sharjah that does not happen here. And that’s what brings the spinners in play. I am batting first here, yes two have gone to the Super Over but all five games have been won by the team batting first.”

Toss stats in Dubai

So far, teams batting first have had a perfect win record at Dubai this season. What should the captains Steve Smith and Dinesh Karthik choose after winning the toss?

BREAKING NEWS: No England Test contract for Jonny Bairstow

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Jonny Bairstow has not been given a Test contract by England and Wales Cricket Board, as they look towards the future. It shows that Bairstow is not in England’s Test plans.

How many runs will Rahul Tewatia score?

Rahul Tewatia has become a household name after his blitzkrieg against Kings XI Punjab. How many runs will he score today?

Jos Buttler key for Rajasthan Royals

Jos Buttler’s record as an opener for Rajasthan Royals is tremendous. He has played 15 game so far, and has scored 743 runs in which he has scored 8 fifies at an average of 57.2.

RR players this season

Smith this season: 2 games, 119 runs, Strike Rate 161.

Archer this season: 11 balls, 40 runs, 6 sixes

Simon Doull’s big statement on Shubman Gill

“It was a perfect score for Shubman to get into this tournament. He didn’t score much in the first match. He needed a score to get started and when you are chasing only 143, you could play your natural game. It will hold him in good stead moving forward. In the match against SRH, he timed the innings superbly. He needed to be there and show the maturity that he can bat through and win for his team,” Doull said during an interview with Cricbuzz.

“I think Eoin Morgan had the best ally on the other end in Shubman. So, the experience and calm nature of Morgan was supported well by the youthful exuberance of Shubman. He kept his head in place and I think it was a very very fine innings,” he added.

To bat or bowl – Toss prediction

All the matches in Dubai have seen high scoring contests, and two of the matches have spread to Super Overs. The teams winning the toss will likely bowl first.

Jofra Archer vs Andre Russell

Jofra Archer and Andre Russell are quite similar in their style of play. Both are strong fast bowlers, and have the ability to hit massive sixes lower down the order. Who will shine in this match?

RR vs KKR: IPL 2020 – Nuggets

* 10: RR have lost 10 matches against RR only against CSK they have lost more matches.

• 100: runs David Miller needs to complete 7000 T20 runs.

• 88: Morgan is 88 runs away from reaching 1000 runs in IPL.

• 2: more wickets Ankit Rajpoot needs to complete 100 wickets in T20s.

• 6: more wickets Andrew Tye needs to reach 200 T20 wickets

• 2: Pat Cummins is 2 wickets away from completing 100 wickets in T20s.

• 3: Lockie Ferguson is 3 wickets away from completing 50 wickets in T20s.

• 3: Eoin Morgan is 3 sixes away from completing 300 sixes in T20s.

o He will become the 1st English cricketer to achieve this feat.

• 4: Morgan needs 4 fours to reaching 500 fours in T20s.

• 4: Andre Russell is 4 wickets away from completing 300 wickets in T20s.

• 4: Sandeep Warrier is 4 wickets away from 50 wickets in T20s.

• 16: Kuldeep has taken 6 wickets against RR at an average of 16

o This is his best average against a current IPL team.

• 56: Unadkat has an average of 56 against KKR, only against CSK he has a worse average.

• 67.5: Smith has scored 135 runs in his last 4 innings against KKR at an average of 67.5.

• 47: Morgan’s average against RR, his most against any IPL team.

• 35.33: Narine’s bowling avg against RR, among current IPL teams only against SRH Narine has a worse

average.

• 48: Jofra Archer’s strike rate, worst in the IPL so far

Pat Cummins vs Steve Smith

Brad Hogg reckons that Pat Cummins will be too much for Steve Smith to tackle. Here is what the former Australia spinner said on his Youtube channel:

“KKR have won one and lost one. But the game that they lost, Pat Cummins had just come out of isolation, he did not have enough work under his belt. He was a little short and a little slow. But that second game, he found his pace and thus it is Pat Cummins against Steve Smith. I feel Pat Cummins will have too much pace, he will test Smith with the short ball and be successful and win the game for KKR,” Brad Hogg said on his YouTube channel.

Eoin Morgan makes interesting points

“We need to improve on our previous game and execute our plans for Smith, Buttler, and Samson. Honestly, they are good players and we have to get them out,” www.kkr.in quoted Morgan as saying

“If they bat for 20 overs, particularly Buttler and Samson, we will lose the game. Smith is also in fine form. But hopefully, we can build on the last win and produce our first win in Dubai,” he added.

Do yu agree?

Sanju Samson reveals advice he got from Virat Kohli

“When I was in gym with the Indian team, I met Virat bhai, I keep on asking him different things. “When he asked me how many years you are going to be play and I said 10, he told me that me ‘then give everything to these 10 years and you can have your favourite food from Kerala after that’. So I became really dedicated to give my best for the next 10-12 years,” Sanju Samson tells media.

IPL 2020 Live Score

RR vs KKR: Key player for KKR: The key player for Kolkata Knight Riders will have to be Shubman Gill. He showcased his talent in the previous game and now he needs to find consistency. He will enjoy batting against RR bowlers who are struggling, and Gill will look to get to a big total.

Key player for RR against KKR

The key player for Rajasthan Royals will definitely be Sanju Samson. He is an exceptional talent, in special form at the moment. He is the talk of the the town and this could be the battle of the wicketkeepers.

Dubai special information

Both the Super Overs in IPL 2020 history have taken place in Dubai. So, both the teams will be careful going into the contest, to ensure they pick the right batting combination and bowling unit. Mess that up and the match will slip.

KKR Predicted XI against RR

Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted XI against Rajasthan Royals: Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Kamlesh Nagarkoti

RR vs KKR, IPL 2020 – HEAD TO HEAD STATS (IN DETAILS)

Matches won by RR: 10

Matches won by KKR: 10

Matched played in India: 18 (RR 8, KKR 9)

Matches played in UAE: 1 (RR 1, KKR 0)

RR average score against KKR: 150

KKR average score against RR: 145

Most runs for RR: 196 (Sanju Samson)

Most runs for KKR: 232 (Dinesh Karthik)

Most wickets for RR: 4 (Shreyas Gopal)

Most wickets for KKR: 9 (Sunil Narine)

Most catches for RR: 5 (Steve Smith)

Most catches for SRH: 3 (Dinesh Karthik, Kuldeep Yadav and Shubman Gill)

RR vs KKR, IPL 2020: Eoin Morgan speaks

Eoin Morgan speaks ahead of KKR’s IPL 2020 contest against RR: “They have a very experienced side. The challenge for us is to focus on our game. If we can improve from the last game, then that will allow us to execute strategies against Smith, Buttler and Samson to try and make inroads. The honest answer is they are good players and if they bat 20 overs then you are probably going to lose the game. Particularly Buttler and Samson. They’ve had some good success but they are missing Ben Stokes at the moment. Hopefully, we can build from the last game and get our first win in Dubai.” – Eoin Morgan to kkr.in

RR Predicted XI against KKR

This is our Predicted XI for RR against KKR. Have your Dream XI teams sort out!

Rajasthan Royals Predicted XI: Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Steve Smith, Rahul Tewatia, Robin Uthappa, Riyan Parag, Jofra Archer, Oshane Thomas, Shreyas Gopal, Ankit Rajpoot, Deepak Hooda

Sanju Samson speaks ahead of IPL 2020, RR vs KKR match

Sanju Samson: “When you’re playing different opponents at different venues, you have to change your plans accordingly. We are playing in Dubai tomorrow where are bigger grounds, so you need to change the game plans accordingly. We have very smart guys in our team management and we are ready for the next game” – Sanju Samson in pre-match conference

Interesting stats

* There have already been two Super Overs between KKR and RR in IPL over the years. Will it be the third one tonight?

* Pat Cummins is 2 wickets short of reaching 100 T20 wickets.

RR vs KKR – Head to Head

Matches: 20

RR Won: 10

KKR Won: 10