Preview

KKR vs LSG: After LSG lost to RR they may be feeling a little nervous. A win against KKR takes them to eighteen and should be enough for qualification, while a top-two spot remains in question, depending on how RR go. A loss though will keep them sweating as the likes of DC and RCB can get ahead of them. Points table aside, LSG has a few worries to look at. Their batting line-up seems a little confusing with Marcus Stoinis coming down too late and the top-order not firing collectively. While Deepak Hooda has been consistent the others have not made regular impacts this season, and have batted too slow on a few occasions as well.

The Kolkata Knight Riders have batting issues of their own. The bowling is doing a fine job, with Varun Chakravarthy back but as a batting unit they are still inconsistent. Barring Nitish Rana and Andre Russell, there hasn’t been a regular contributor from the others. The likes of Shreyas Iyer are getting starts but not kicking on, while the middle-order has a big hole in it. With most of KKR’s big hitters weak against the short-ball, the presence of a wonderful pace attack can leave the side struggling in the middle and death overs.

Match Details

Match: KKR vs LSG

Date: 18th March 2022

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Venue: DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai

Weather Report

The weather for the KKR vs LSG game is clear with a few clouds around but no rain.

Pitch Report

The Navi Mumbai surface like the others in the IPL is getting tough to bat on. The ball is stopping and scores in the 160 range are competitive. With big boundaries on offer, batting will be a little tough and setting a target for the bowlers to will be a better option in the KKR vs LSG fixture.

KKR vs LSG Predicted Playing XI

KKR Playing XI

Sam Billings, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Sheldon Jackson(wk) Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Shivam Mavi, Umesh Yadav,

LSG Playing XI

Quinton de Kock (wk), KL Rahul (capt), Deepak Hooda, Karan Sharma/Evin Lewis, Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis, Ayush Badoni, K Gowtham/Jason Holder, Mohsin Khan, Dushmantha Chameera, Avesh Khan

Team News

Ajinkya Rahane has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2022. Barring him, both sides are likely to remain unchanged.

Key Players

Deepak Hooda

Deepak Hooda has been LSG’s most consistent batter this season and is turning out to be a valuable player for the side. He has come up with constant contributions and will be a big player in the upcoming game as LSG look to cement their qualification hopes. He has earnt consistent role in the top four of the LSG line-up, allowing him to make a strong impact on the game.

Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer’s form this season is turning out to be a concern. He hasn’t scored regularly and has shown clear signs of struggle against pace bowling and the shorter ball in particular. He is a vital part of the side, but his weakness against pace has not helped him play with the intent he wants to play in, leaving the KKR side struggling for stability at the top.

KKR vs LSG Match Tips

Both sides are in crucial stages of their tournament and need a good result here badly. With LSG having a strong pace attack though, they may be able to exploit KKR’s weakness against fast bowling as they did in the previous game, leaving them ahead of the contest.

Match Prediction: LSG will win the match.