There has been no stopping KKR, be it at home or away, in the 10th season of the cash-rich league.
KKR have 12 points from eight matches at a commanding net run rate of +1.153 while Mumbai Indians, the other form team, have +0.514.
Time is running out fast for DD, who are languishing at seventh in the eight-team standings with four points from six matches.
After bundling out Royal Challengers Bangalore for a tournament-record low 49, KKR thrashed Rising Pune Supergiant away by seven wickets last night.
Having suffered a hat-trick of losses, Daredevils, on the other hand, will be playing their first match in six days and the captain-mentor duo of Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid would hope that they return rejuvenated against an in-form team enjoying a 7-11 win-loss record.
With Zaheer lending his vast experience and home lad Mohammad Shami's familiarity with the conditions, Daredevils' pace battery would relish the transformed Eden Gardens wicket, which aids pace and bounce.
Countering Sunil Narine up front will be their first task as more often the Trinidadian has successfully bamboozled the opposition with his clean striking at the top of the order.
Narine's unexpected success with the bat has ensured that KKR do not miss the injured Chris Lynn who's recovering from a shoulder injury after his two-match blitz.
Narine scored 34 from 17 balls in a low-scoring tie against RCB where none of the KKR batters could even post 20, and it was worse for Kohli and Co who could not even get to a double digit score.
Last night Narine was run out but his 11-ball 16 had given the start and the momentum needed for Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir to complete the 183 chase by seven wickets and 11 balls to spare.
It's not only the batsmen who have been doing the job effortlessly for KKR but their spin and pace bowlers have also contributed.
Uthappa may have sealed their chase with a spectacular 47-ball 87 but one cannot discount chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav, who removed Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Manoj Tiwary in four balls.
Teams (from):
Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Darren Bravo, Trent Boult, Piyush Chawla, Nathan Coulter Nile, Colin De Grandhomme, Rishi Dhawan, Sayan Ghosh, Shaikb-Al-Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Ishank Jaggi, Kuldeep Yadav, Chris Woakes, Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Ankit Rajpoot, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Uthappa and Umesh Yadav.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
