Kolkata Should End Narine Experiment; Bench Misfiring Bishnoi: Projected XI for KKR vs LSG IPL Match
26 days ago | 5 Views
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders are all set to host Lucknow Super Giants in their fourth home game in the ongoing IPL 2025. Both teams have incurred a similar path heading into the contest at the iconic Eden Gardens, winning two each in four games, leaving them in the middle of the IPL points table, only to be separated by net run rate. Both teams also secured a victory in their respective previous games - KKR beat Sunrisers at home by 80 runs, while Lucknow stunned Mumbai Indians at the Ekana Stadium.
Time for Kolkata to do away with Narine experiment
Upon Gautam Gambhir's return to the Kolkata Knight Riders last season as a mentor, he reinstated Sunil Narine's previous role as a pinch-hitter at the top of the batting order. This strategic decision proved beneficial for KKR, culminating in their title victory. Although KKR continued with this approach even after Gambhir transitioned to a larger role mentoring the Indian men's team, Narine's performance has been erratic and inconsistent, prompting concerns about his position at the top of the order.
Following a resurgence in the middle order during last week's match against Sunrisers, where their most expensive acquisition, Venkatesh Iyer, finally made an impact and Rinku Singh contributed significantly, Kolkata's primary concern has been their underperforming opening partnership. The combination of Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine has failed to replicate the explosive starts provided by Phil Salt last season. Their highest partnership this season has been a mere 44 runs, with the openers managing scores of 4, 1, and 14 in other matches.
As a result, Kolkata may consider moving on from the Narine experiment and giving the promising young talent Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who has impressed with his fluidity and sound technique, an opportunity to partner with de Kock.
Projected KKR XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Misfiring Bishnoi to be benched
Ravi Bishnoi was the standout bowler for Lucknow last season, taking 10 wickets in 14 matches with an economy rate of 8.77. This performance led to his retention for INR 11 crore. However, the Indian leg-spinner has had a disappointing start to the current season, managing only three wickets in four matches while conceding nearly 12 runs per over. Notably, during the middle overs, where he typically excels, Bishnoi has allowed more than 12 runs per over.
With Digvesh Singh Rathi demonstrating his capabilities through effective length control and smart variations, having secured six wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.62 in just two matches, Lucknow may consider replacing Bishnoi with another spinner, potentially Shahbaz Ahmed.
Projected XI for Lucknow: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (C & WK), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Rathi.
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