25th T20 Match rajasthan royals vs kolkata knight riders live scorecard 2014

The last time these two sides, not more than a few days ago, both sides put on a display to cherish with both sides tying the contest, not only in the stipulated 20-overs, but also during the Super Over. Rajasthan were eventually awarded the game thanks to having scored more boundaries than the Kolkata. While Rajasthan would not mind a similar end-result in the game at Ahmedabad, both sides will want to ensure they do not leave the game till the very end to try and take their chance to triumph.

25th T20 Match rajasthan royals vs kolkata knight riders live scorecard 2014

Rajasthan:

The Shane Watson-led side has enjoyed a revival of sorts with a string of victories and they will look to continue in the same vein against the Kolkata. Their last game against Delhi went perfectly as planned with both bowlers and batsmen chipping in and helping them produce a clinical display that saw them oust Delhi by 7 wickets. The 3rd-placed side would also be overjoyed with discovering a match-winner in young Karun Nair, who slammed a 50-ball 73.

The biggest strength of Rajasthan going into Monday's match is their in-form batting. The team is on a three-match winning streak and given the dismal form which Kolkata are battling, a fourth victory on the trot does not look unlikely. Rajasthan' batsmen have been in fine form but more would be expected of the likes of Shane Watson and Sanju Samson, both of whom have been making decent contributions.

On the bowling front, they have discovered the brilliance of leg-spinner Pravin Tambe, who has been making crucial breakthroughs. The 42-year old produced a brilliant performance that saw him take 2 vital wickets in their last game and will be keen on repeating his heroics. Pacer James Faulkner has spearheaded the pace department rather well with some good support from Dhawal Kulkarni and Kane Richardson.

Kolkata:

In contrast, Kolkata have been living a nightmare, having suffered three back-to-back defeats. KOL were thoroughly outplayed in their 34-run defeat at the hands of Chennai in their most recent match

Their biggest concern right now is a floundering batting line-up. Skipper Gautam Gambhir has failed to produce a single innings of significance so far, along with veteran Jacques Kallis, who has also been far from impressive. In their previous match against Chennai, Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan did come up with innings of substance but it would take a lot more than that to notch up wins. Chris Lynn has been good in patches and KOL will hope the young Australian turns in a performance that will inspire the rest of his squad. Surya Kumar Yadav too has been decent with the bat for the 2012 Indian Premier League Champions, but he has been batting way down the order to make an impact.

On the bowling front, Kolkata have relied too heavily on the spin duo of West Indian Sunil Narine and Bangladesh's Shakib Al-Hasan. Piyush Chawla has been blowing hot and cold and is not among their most reliable bowlers at the moment. Their pace department, despite boasting of some big name, have failed to cause any major discomfort to the opposition line-ups.

Team News: Rajasthan have absolutely no need to change their winning combination. They seem to have all their bases
covered and would have enough faith to carry on with the same team against a struggling KOL side. The Gautam Gambhir side, on the other hand, will be buzzing with question about how to get the best out of their side. With Pat Cummins and Ryan ten Doeschate in the side, KOL do have a couple of probable solutions up their sleeve.

Quotes:

All the matches are crucial. (The game against Delhi) was the first match of the India leg, we also had to adjust to the conditions and we did well. Everyone fulfilled their role well: Pravin Tambe.

Prediction:

On current form, Rajasthan will start off as strong favourites but the unpredictable nature of the season could help KOL spring a surprise.
Article source: cricketcountry.com