IPL 2020 - Match No. 12 - Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Preview and Predictions

IPL 2020 - Match No. 12 - Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Preview and Predictions
Will Rajasthan Royals (RR) continue their batting juggernaut? Or will Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) find a way to stop RR in their tracks?

Welcome to Match 12 of Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 where RR will square off against KKR at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

RR have been on an absolute roll with the bat in IPL 2020, and remain the only side who has hammered scores of 200+ twice in a row and emerged triumphant as many times.

KKR, on the other hand, have had a mixed fortune during their first two games of the season. While they lost their opening game against Mumbai Indians (MI), the Dinesh Karthik-led side bounced back in style to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by seven wickets to register their first win in the IPL 2020.

The ground in Dubai is much larger than at Sharjah with a pitch that is slower and so the average scores have been much lesser too. The best thing about Rajasthan's success so far is the fact that it has come without any major contributions from the overseas players. Yes, Jofra Archer has smashed sixes and Steve Smith has scored runs consistently but the bulk of the work has been done by the Indian players. Sanju Samson and Rahul Tewatia are the standout players of the team of course but there are others that have contributed as well. Their current batting lineup is very top-heavy. Jos Buttler, Steve Smith, and Sanju Samson are the heavyweights up top with very little follow. Robin Uthappa could struggle in the middle-order, Riyan Parag has not batted much.

The bowling is also pretty weak but they have been in the toughest conditions so far. Now, with larger boundaries and a slower pitch, the likes of Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, and Tom Curran could be more effective. Jofra Archer does not really need the surface as he can generate his pace anywhere in the world.

We don't think RR is going to change its team for this next match. Maybe changing out Tom Curran for David Miller is one thing they could do but it looks unlikely.

The inclusion of Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Varun Chakravarthy immediately made the team better. However, it also meant that KKR was playing with seven genuine bowling options. Another batsman in there would be excellent to balance out things, especially since Sunil Narine has not hit his stride just yet. Rahul Tripathi is a good option but whether KKR wants to change a winning combination remains to be seen.

With an in-form Eoin Morgan, who seems motivated to perform well this season, and Andre Russell waiting in the wings, KKR has a potentially explosive lineup. Nitish Rana also played very well in the previous match but the lack of runs from Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik so far is a major concern.

KKR bowled much better against SRH than it had in the opening match. Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, and Andre Russell were all very good. Varun Chakravarthy also picked up his first IPL wicket and was a bit of a bonus for KKR in the middle.

Weather Forecast
There hasn't been much change in the temperature since the start of the tournament, and it is expected to be similar for this game as well. It will be hot and dry weather with no chance of precipitation. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 39 degrees Celsius, while the minimum will be around 29 degrees. The humidity will likely be around 34 per cent with a wind speed of about 19 km per hour. Another high scoring match is on the cards.

Pitch Report
Dubai International Cricket Stadium is completely different compared to Sharjah and Abu Dhabi Cricket Stadium. The ground here is quite big. At the same time, grass will also be present on the pitch here. In such a situation, the fast bowlers are likely to get some assistance from the pitch. Team batting first should look to post atleast 175 runs on the board.

Toss Prediction
The pitch at Dubai hasn't been the best for batting so far in the tournament. In the games have been played at the venue, the pitch has slowed down a bit in the second innings, and therefore suggesting that batting first might not be a bad idea.

Stats and Facts
Head to head: Matches Played: 15
Rajasthan Royals: 10
Kolkata Knight Riders: 10

Approaching Milestones:
This will be RR's 150th IPL match.
Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler need 132 and 110 runs respectively to complete 2500 and 1500 IPL runs.
Robin Uthappa needs 1 fifty and 75 runs respectively to complete 25 IPL fifties and 4500 IPL runs.
Dinesh Karthik needs 40 runs to complete 1000 IPL runs as captain.
Eoin Morgan and Andre Russell require 88 and 89 runs respectively to complete 1000 and 1500 IPL runs.

Likely XIs:
Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Steven Smith, Sanju Samson, Robin Uthappa, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Shreyas Gopal, Tom Curran, Jofra Archer, Ankit Rajpoot/Varun Aaron, Jaydev Unadkat

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Dinesh Karthik, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Pat Cummins, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy

Players to Watch Out For:
Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Steven Smith, Sanju Samson, Jofra Archer
Kolkata Knight Riders: Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell

Match Odds:
Kolkata Knight Riders: 1.80
Rajathan Royals: 2.00

SantaBanta's Winner Prediction: Rajasthan Royals

IPL 2020 Winner Live Odds
Mumbai Indians - 5
Royal Challengers Bangalore - 5.5
Rajasthan Royals - 6.5
Delhi Capitals - 6.5
Kolkata Knight Riders - 7.5
Chennai Super Kings - 8.5
Sunrisers Hyderabad - 9
Kings XI Punjab - 10

Match Venue: Dubai Cricket Stadium, Dubai, UAE
Time: 7.30 PM IST
TV: Star Sports Network
Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar VIP

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