One of the reasons for Kolkata Knight Riders winning their third title in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 was the brilliant all-round form of Sunil Narine.
The West Indies all-rounder was the highest run-getter for KKR, compiling 488 runs in 15 matches and bagging 17 wickets at an average of 21.64, emerging as one of their top performers.
As the KKR defend their title, Sunil Narine has managed to score only 51 runs in three innings with a highest score of 22. In three matches, he has only two wickets, with 1-27 being his best.
So, as they get ready to take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, is the indifferent form of their top performer a matter of concern for KKR? Assistant Coach Ottis Gibson says it is too early to say so.
No concern whatsoever. Still early days in the tournament. We know what he did last year. We're still trying to as a team, establish some consistency. But we know that Sunil Narine, on his day, can take apart any bowling attack, and we look forward to that happening.
The major issue for KKR could be that this is an early afternoon match, as it has been rescheduled to Monday from April 6, on a request by the Kolkata police because of Ram Navami celebrations on Sunday.
But Gibson said they are prepared for it and will try their best to tackle the conditions, because the Kolkata heat could pose some problems.
You know, most of these guys have been playing in the IPL now, and they play night games, they play day games, so it shouldn't affect us too much.
KKR will be looking forward to their third victory of the season in their fifth match as they come into this match with a fine win over SRH. Their opponents, LSG, have also won two matches in four and defeated the Mumbai Indians at home in their last match.
Lucknow will be hoping for a big innings from their captain, Rishabh Pant, as they hope to build some early momentum. Pant is the most expensive player in IPL history after grabbing a whopping Rs 27 crore in the auction, but has managed only 19 runs in four matches so far.
But his teammate Shahbaz Ahmed said his skipper is super chilled and will soon score a big one.
There is no change in his mood. As always, he is chilled and relaxed. He is working very hard and we believe that when crunch time comes, Rishabh Pant will score runs and win matches for us.
LSG have a slight edge in head-to-head as they have won three of the five matches the two sides have played so far, while KKR have won two.
CSK meet PBKS on road with heavy baggage
With the KKR match being rescheduled, Tuesday will become a rare double-match day on a weekday as Punjab Kings take on five-time winners Chennai Super Kings in New Chandigarh.
CSK is struggling to get their act together, suffering three defeats in a row after making a winning start to the season against the Mumbai Indians.
Their top-order batters, except the skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, have failed to fire, while in the middle-overs, Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni have not finished the matches as they usually do. Dhoni's performance has come under particular scrutiny after he batted at No.9 in one match and failed to guide the team to victory despite coming to bat with nine overs remaining.
To compound their problems, they have suffered defeats at home to Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the first time since 2008 and to Delhi Capitals after 15 years. This will be their second away match of the season, and Punjab Kings, who have won two of their three matches so far, could prove an insurmountable hurdle for the struggling CSK.
However, former Australia star Shane Watson, who has helped CSK win the 2018 IPL final against Sunrisers Hyderabad with a century, expressed confidence that the five-time winner will make the playoffs.
Normally, after every mega auction, CSK have always really thought out and lined up all of their positions from their batting line-up, to bowling options. So to be able to see within the first four games, there being quite a few adjustments, which is very unlike CSK.
They’ve always been – like when I was fortunate enough to be able to play with them, they - Stephen Fleming, and MSD (MS Dhoni) at that time - were very clear on what the roles were before the tournament started. They didn’t really change that much.
PBKS, who lost their first match after two wins, will be hoping to ride the home conditions to return to winning ways. They have a strong top-order lineup and some good bowling options.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer seems in good form and has played some crucial knocks, including an unbeaten 97. while their top pacer, Arshdeep Singh, has claimed six wickets so far. In 30 matches between these two sides, CSK have won 16 games while PBKS emerged winner in 14.
