Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders: A must-win match for KKR to be in the race for playoffs

All the teams are putting their best foot forward to seal a spot in the Top 4. 

The new team, Lucknow Super Giants, have won seven out of their ten games and are placed second in the points table. They have been having a great tournament and are carrying significant winning momentum. KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock and Deepak Hooda are anchoring the team well at the top order. Their middle order does have quality players but has been inconsistent. Marcus Stoinis is yet to display his best with the bat and contribute to the team's win. In the absence of Avesh Khan, the team has found a new match-winner in the form of Mohsin Khan, and he has been very impressed with his bowling. A win in tonight's match will take them closer to sealing a spot for playoffs.

On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders are eighth in the points table. After losing five matches, they finally managed to win their previous fixture and kept their hopes alive for the playoffs. The game must have boosted their confidence for upcoming matches. They are now in a state of must win all the matches to make it through to the playoffs. Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Chakravarthy, the two retained players, didn't make it to the playing XI in the last match due to fragile ongoing form. However, Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh have been doing well in the middle-order for the team. However, Sunil Narine hasn't taken many wickets but has been a very economical bowler. They have an arduous task lying ahead for playoff qualification. 

Player to watch out for

Batters: Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Hooda

Shreyas Iyer is the leading run-scorer for KKR. He has scored 324 runs in 10 matches with a strike rate of 133.33. He hasn't been dismissed for a single-digit score yet in this season and will be a crucial scorer today. Deepak Hooda made a half-century in the previous fixture and will look to carry forward that form. He has been a vital player in the middle order for LSG.

Bowlers: Umesh Yadav and Mohsin Khan

Umesh Yadav has scalped 15 wickets in 10 matches and is the leading wicket-taker for KKR this season. He will look forward to getting his team a breakthrough whenever needed. Mohsin Khan picked four wickets in the previous match on the flip side. He has an economy of 6.07 and a strike rate of 10.5 and will be their crucial bowler tonight.

Stats to keep an eye on

• Kolkata Knight Riders have tried five opening pairs, the most by any team in the league. Their average opening stand of 14.40 is the worst in the tournament.
• In ten games played in Pune, captains have opted to bowl after winning the toss. However, their teams won only three of those games.
• Among those who have bowled at least ten overs in the middle phase this season, Narine (5.00) has the best economy rate.

A win in this game will get Lucknow Super Giants close to sealing a place for playoffs, whereas a loss for Knight Riders will make their chances very slim. It will be an intriguing contest to witness.