Knight Riders eye playoff spot, record

Kolkata’s last five wins have come batting second. It would be interesting to see how they approach their task if they’re asked to bat first. However, the way Robin Uthappa has been playing, they shouldn’t be too worried though. Uthappa is the top-scorer among the Indians in this IPL with 489 runs from 12 matches at a strike-rate of 133.97.

Team atmosphere

Jacques Kallis today popped in at a city mall for a promotional event. “My focus is on the 2015 World Cup and this IPL gives me a perfect platform to prepare well,” he said. Kallis, however, is not getting games at the moment. But such has been their form that Kolkata haven’t missed their talismanic all-rounder.

Gayle force missing

Meanwhile, Chris Gayle’s indifferent form — 190 runs in eight matches at a strike-rate of 108.57 — is one of the reasons why Bangalore have been disappointing. Without the impetus that he so destructively provides early on in the innings, Bangalore are finding it difficult to take the attack to the opposition. They scored only 17 runs in the first six overs against Chennai Super Kings as Gayle was batting on six from 18 balls. In the last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Bangalore limped to 25 for two after six overs and Gayle was out for 14 off 20 balls.

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CSK look to overcome ‘slump’

Ranchi: The Chennai Super Kings will take the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final home game of the season at the JSCA stadium in Ranchi. CSK, who currently occupy second place on the table with 16 points from 12 games, have lost two consecutive games. The Sunrisers eked out a victory in their last match against RCB but by and large the Hyderabad side has failed to impress, managing only 10 points from 12 games. However, they still have an outside chance of making the play-offs, needing to win both their remaining matches and hoping that other results go their way.

CSK have already qualified for the play-offs but will be hoping to get over the recent dip. They will be looking to slide back into their hard-nosed and efficient template with the play-offs looming. For the side from Chennai, Suresh Raina’s return to form bodes well. The left-handed Raina has aggregated 360 runs in 12 innings and boasts a healthy strike-rate 130.43. Raina has also scored three half-centuries and has managed to bring stability at the crucial number three position. Similarly, David Warner has occupied the same position for the Sunrisers. Warner has racked up 434 runs in 12 hits at 48.22 with five half-centuries.

Bhuvi vs Mohit

Thursday will also see the battle of the top two bowlers in this edition of the tournament. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is currently leading the tally with 20 wickets, will be hoping to add to that while Mohit Sharma, with 18, is hot on his heels. The last time CSK played at Ranchi, the track was a spinner’s paradise. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja regularly troubled the opposition batsmen with turn and some disconcerting bounce.

On Tuesday, it was the Sunrisers’ spinners who pulled things back for their side, sending down tight overs in the middle-phase of the RCB innings. Karn Sharma, the most expensive uncapped players this season, has put in some efficient shifts for his side, using his brand of flat and quick leg-spin to good effect. The Sunrisers finally gave a game to Parvez Rasool on Tuesday, the Jammu and Kashmir all-rounder justified his selection with a tight four-over spell and Yuvraj Singh’s wicket. ENS

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