Match 21 of the 2025 Indian Premier League season brings us a crucial mid-table clash between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens on April 8.
For the game, here are our preview and predictions.
Both teams are coming into this match following a win in their respective last encounters. KKR registered a thumping 80-run victory against the SunRisers Hyderabad at home in Match 15, while LSG, despite their shortcomings in the bowling department, pulled off a 12-run victory at home against the Mumbai Indians in Match 16.
For KKR, the form of their opening batters Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine is a cause for concern, though consistency from captain Ajinkya Rahane and youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been a relief for the coaching staff. Besides, both Venkatesh Iyer (60 off 29) and Rinku Singh (32* off 17) returned to form against SRH, which will be welcomed with open arms as the league table starts to take shape.
Contributions from their bowling contingent can’t be overlooked by the defending champions either. The likes of Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, and Narine have had solid starts to the season, while both Harshit Rana and Andre Russell are beginning to find rhythm with the ball.
On the other hand, the Super Giants, despite their bowling struggles, have managed to win two games out four and sit just behind KKR on net run rate. After kicking off their campaign against the Delhi Capitals in agonising fashion, they have had both Avesh Khan and Akash Deep return from injury and contribute in the two wins, though credit for them goes chiefly to Shardul Thakur and Digvesh Rathi.
With the bat, although captain Rishabh Pant’s form has been an issue, the likes of Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran have been at their destructive best since the first game, while Aiden Markram, Ayush Badoni, and David Miller have all chipped in with crucial knocks.
This fixture at Eden Gardens is poised to be a tight contest, with both teams possessing the firepower in their batting and bowling departments to come out on top. Based on LSG’s slightly weaker bowling lineup, we give KKR the edge for this one.
Fantasy XI: Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Mitchell Marsh, Sunil Narine (vc), Aiden Markram, Harshit Rana, Digvesh Rathi, Shardul Thakur, Varun Chakravarthy
Venue: Eden Gardens Stadium, Kolkata
Winners Prediction: Kolkata Knight Riders
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