IPL 2020 Match 54 KKR v RR Betting Preview

Match Details
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals
Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Sunday, November 1st 2020
16:00 SA Time

IPL 2020: Match 54 – Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals Preview, Prediction, Probable Playing XI and Value bets.

Betting Preview

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) battle it out against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in match number 54 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and there is all to play for. It is a must-win clash for both teams and a loss would send them packing. This KKR vs RR game could well be a virtual knockout game if Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) lose their games against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings respectively. If not, it is going to come down on the net run rate as teams are going to end up on 14 points.

Kolkata Knight Riders have a pretty bad net run rate and it is the worst among all teams that are in contention for the playoffs. The Eoin Morgan-led side desperately needs to up the ante and win big in this game. The two-time champions just haven’t been able to keep up the momentum and carry that forward. Every time they win, a loss is just around the corner. KKR have now had a couple of thumping defeats and need to bounce back in style if they are to make it to the playoffs.

One of the key areas of KKR’s struggles has been their batting line-up which is constantly being chopped and changed. The personnel are almost the same but the batting order has changed almost every game. Meanwhile, the bowling has been carted around in the last couple of games and consistency has an issue. Thus, in this must-win game, KKR needs to hit top gear right from the word go.

On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals are coming into this game with their confidence sky-high. They have had a couple of excellent wins against Mumbai and Punjab in their last two games. They have hunted down targets 196 and 185 respectively with relative ease and seem to have the momentum on their side. The inaugural 2008 IPL champions have also been inconsistent throughout this tournament and they haven’t built any sort of momentum.

However, things finally seem to be coming together nicely. RR have found a combination they’ve backed for a few games now. Their batting line-up looks settled as well and is looking in lethal form. The bowling will concern them a bit. RR are heavily dependant on Jofra Archer. The England fast bowler has had little support from the rest of the bowling group. The last time these two sides squared off was a month ago and KKR romped home with a 37-run win. KKR lead the overall head to head record as well which stands at 11-8.

Injury and Availability News

Andre Russell is still recovering from his niggle and has missed the last four games for KKR. He might return for their last league game.

Probable Playing XI

Kolkata Knight Riders

Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Eoin Morgan (c), Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Pat Cummins, Andre Russell/Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi/Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Varun Chakravarthy

Rajasthan Royals

Robin Uthappa, Ben Stokes, Steven Smith (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Jos Buttler, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Varun Aaron, Kartik Tyagi

Key Players to watch out for

Shubman Gill: The 21-year-old top-order batsman has come out with attacking intent in the last couple of games. Gill has looked in good touch throughout this tournament and in the last two games, he has gone out on the attack early in the powerplay as well. KKR would want him to continue in the same vein and give them a solid foundation at the top.

Ben Stokes: It’s been a remarkable turnaround for Ben Stokes in the last two games. The England all-rounder has smashed a hundred and a half-century and has been the heart of the two run-chases for RR. What will please them is that Stokes has started bowling again as well and picked up two wickets in the last game. He is the man for the big stages and hence, he will be the one to watch out for.

Varun Chakravarthy: The mystery spinner from Tamil Nadu has been very impressive this season. Chakravarthy has picked up 15 wickets at an economy of 7.00. He has mixed up his variations beautifully and has been the best bowler for KKR in this tournament. There is no doubt he will play a key role in this big game.

Value Betting

Kolkata Knight Riders

Shubman Gill to be KKR’s top batsman at 2.50.

Varun Chakravarthy to be KKR’s top bowler at 3.00.

Rajasthan Royals

Jos Buttler to be RR’s top batsman at 2.75.

Jofra Archer to be RR’s top bowler at 1.60.

Prediction: Kolkata Knight Riders to win at 0.76

BET Contributor