Kolkata Knight Riders take on Delhi Daredevils in front of an expected full-house crowd at the Eden Gardens in what is going to be a massive match as far as qualification for the play-offs is concerned.
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The home team, who are the defending champions, are currently third in the table with 11 points, three points behind joint leaders Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
They have played 10 matches so far, and with just three ties remaining after the Delhi match, they are just one point ahead of Mumbai Indians in fourth place and Royal Challengers Bangalore in fifth place at nine points.
Daredevils, on the other hand, have eight points in 10 matches and are placed sixth. If they have any ambitions of making it to the playoffs, the JP Duminy-led team need to win all remaining four matches to give themselves the best chance.
After winning three of their first four matches, Kolkata have been inconsistent. Bowling has been Gautam Gambhir’s team’s main strength, and the absence of mystery spinner Sunil Narine hasn’t really affected them much.
On the top, Australian veteran Brad Hogg – given a place instead of Narine – has snatched the opportunity with both hands.
Narine was once again reported for a suspect bowling action and has been banned from bowling his off-spinners in the ongoing tournament. Since the BCCI verdict on April 29, Kolkata have not picked him up in their eleven.
Brad Hogg’s love for the game is infectious. 44 years old and he runs in to bowl with the enthusiasm of a kid. #IPL #KKRvCSK #KKR #CSK
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) April 30, 2015
Kolkata bowling coach Wasim Akram, while praising Hogg, said skipper Gambhir also deserved credit for the success of the bowler.
“Hogg has filled his boots well, but the credit goes to Gautam,” said Akram. “A mystery spinner is one whose ball you can’t pick. This is what Narine has been doing and is exactly what Hogg is doing.”
Delhi’s biggest concern is their batting. Apart from openers Shreyas Iyer and Mayank Agarwal, and captain Duminy, others haven’t exactly stepped up to the plate.
However, former Indian star Yuvraj Singh did have a decent outing in his last match (57 in 44 balls against Mumbai Indians).
