Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders would be looking to restore lost pride when they take on the struggling Pune Warriors in their Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.
Both the teams are in the bottom half of the points table with the Knight Riders at eight points from just four wins in 12 games. Pune, on the other hand, are currently positioned last with four points, having lost 10 out of 12 matches.
It will a great chance for the title-holders, who are virtually out of contention for a berth in the four-team play-offs, to redeem themselves against a side enduring a nightmarish campaign this season.
However, it would certainly not be an easy task for KKR, especially after the thrashing they received at the hands of Mumbai Indians on Tuesday night.
Having posted 170, Mumbai Indians bowled out the Knight Riders for a mere 105 in 18.2 overs to register a 65-run win with only Jacques Kallis (24) and Debabrata Das (23) crossing the 20-run mark.
The Knight Riders’ top-order batting has waxed and waned in IPL-6. None signifies this aspect better than captain Gautam Gambhir who started off with three half-centuries only to be left struggling since then.
Though Gambhir is still the top scorer for his side with 320 runs, his poor run with the bat after the great beginning has put pressure on the late-order batsmen. Even the ever-dependable Jacques Kallis (243 runs) has not been consistent.
Big-hitting Eoin Morgan has been the main batsman in the middle-order with 283 runs, while Yusuf Pathan, after showing glimpses of his talent in the match against Rajasthan Royals, was back among the low scorers.
As far as their bowling is concerned, Kolkata have been depending a lot on their unorthodox spinner Sunil Narine (16 wickets) to get the breakthroughs.
Similarly, Pune Warriors cup of woes is also brimming over after they suffered their seventh straight loss against Rajasthan in their previous game. And come Thursday it would again be a daunting task for Aaron Finch’s boys against a team, which might be low at the moment but boasts of some big-hitters.
The Warriors have been woefully out of sorts and inconsistent in all departments of the game.
The batting is yet to fire in unison and barring Finch’s three half-centuries and Robin Uthappa’s couple of half-centuries this season, no other Pune batsman, which also includes the likes of Yuvraj Singh, has scored a fifty so far.
Yuvraj has managed just 171 runs from his nine games.
Bowling also remains a big concern for Pune as most of their bowlers have leaked runs.
Star Watch
MITCHELL MARSH: The 21-year-old is perhaps one of the most under-rated players in Warriors’ ranks but a look at his contributions and one can see why they have persisted with him. While he has not been too successful, he has the ability to score quick runs and bag crucial wickets.
LAXMIPATHI BALAJI: The medium-pacer has not come to the party but has been highly economical. He has gone about his job clinically and given that the Knights have a solid bowling unit, he has not had to bend his back too much. However, he would like to continue to give away as little as possible.
