KKR vs LSG, IPL 2023 Highlights: Rinku classic in vain as Lucknow qualify

Run rate at exactly 5.00 which is just not the kind of start LSG would have wanted considering they are trying to keep their necks above the water here.

What a start this is from Harshit Rana, just one run off the first over and then a wicket in the second. 

De Kock smashes that over long on and into the stands off the first ball of the third over from Rana. Just one run off the first over from Rana, now six runs off the first ball of the second.

Just a run in a very good first over from Rana, De Kock was beaten twice in it, off the fourth and sixth balls.

Right, here we go. Harshit Rana bowling the first over, Quinton de Kock and Karan Sharma opening for LSG.

Well many of the KKR fans have a bit of a curveball thrown at them by LSG. For there would be many wearing those purple colours who have been fans of Mohun Bagan for generations. Today, LSG are wearing Bagan's colours as a tribute to the iconic football club.

“The players are ready for the fight, it's all about control whatever we can and obviously whenever the momentum is on our side, we wanna take it (talking about the preparations for today's game). I think I had a decent season, still looking for more (rating his performance this season so far). Smaller venue, better wicket than Lucknow, we are looking forward to the challenge. KKR has been a dangerous team especially at home, the results haven't shown that but they are a very dangerous team. Our batters are looking forward to execute their plans. (About the venue and opposition). It's a beautiful chasing venue and that's the first thing he (Gambhir's inputs about the venue) mentioned. As a batter, when you get the opportunity, get set and win it for the team.”

“It's been a good season for me, but as a team we have gone through some ups and downs. Overall we played good cricket and there are few close games which could have gone either way and irrespective of today's result we will hold our heads high (talking about his and the team's season so far). One against GT (in Kolkata) and one against Delhi (in Delhi), if we had done few things better we would be sitting on 16 points today (on missing out on close games). We are on the way to build an amazing core and that has been the main feature of this season, all the Indians boys have done well this season and it is a good sign.”

Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Jason Roy, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana(c), Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy

Quinton de Kock(w), Karan Sharma, Prerak Mankad, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Krunal Pandya(c), Ayush Badoni, Krishnappa Gowtham, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohsin Khan

“We would've also fielded first. At the end of the day, you have to play good cricket. We know where we stand in the table. Our destiny is in our hands. Focus is on playing good cricket. We defended really well in previous game. Eventually what matters is how we come today, put a total on the board and defend it. Couple of changes - instead of Hooda, we have Karan. And Gowtham comes in for Swapnil.”

“Will bowl first. Need to win by a big margin, want to play positively. Rinku has been one of the positives. Have done well in patches in other areas as well. Roy has given some good starts. There's Suyash who's done well too. Same team.”

KKR have won the toss and chosen to bowl first

LSG are one win away from securing a playoff spot for themselves. Considering the fact that CSK seem set for a comprehensive win over DC, they might need a truly big win today to actually get to second spot. LSG can go through if they lose as well but for that, they need at least one of MI or RCB to lose tomorrow.

"The beauty about Narine is that he is very confident, he understands his skills, and after playing in these conditions over and over again, I think he understands what went wrong. The conversations are more about understanding and his preparation for every game. The last few games he has been playing around with the angles and understanding the speed he has been bowling at and compared it to his best. It's amazing that he's had a great comeback at a very important stage for us."

DC are 26/3 in 5 overs in reply to CSK's 223/3. David Warner is on 18 off 15 while Deepak Chahar took two wickets off consecutive deliveries in the fifth over. CSK's big score was powered by a 141-run opening stand between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway with some finishing touches from Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja.

LSG have had their troubles this season, starting with an utterly, woefully out of form captain opening for them and eating up deliveries. And yet, it is their batters who have done the job for them and even made up for a largely inexperienced bowling lineup. The ones who performed particularly well are Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran and the Eden Gardens is the kind of place where these two can flourish.

Umesh Yadav is not 100 percent fit and with World Test Championship final slated for June, it's unlikely that he will play for KKR. For LSG, Jaydev Unadkat has been ruled out of the remainder of the IPL due to shoulder injury. Batter Suryansh Shedge has been named his replacement.

Russell has had another lackluster season considering his lofty standards, which, alongwith the plethora of injuries he seems to deal with every season, could be an indication of his age slowly catching up. It has to be said that he has struck at close 150 this season but he is Russell after all, and there are bound to be higher expectations off him. Russell has scored 220 runs this season in 13 matches at a strike rate of 149.65 and average of 22.00.

Rana has said that Rinku is a little brother and their brotherhood has translated into some great performances this season. Rinku has scored three fifties in six innings, for 238 runs, at an average of 119, and a stunning strike-rate of 167. Rana has three fifties in six innings too, with 279 runs at an average of 55.8, and a strike-rate close to 150.  

Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Jason Roy, Nitish Rana(c), Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, N Jagadeesan, Umesh Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Mandeep Singh, Johnson Charles, David Wiese, Kulwant Khejroliya, Aarya Desai

Quinton de Kock(w), Deepak Hooda, Prerak Mankad, Krunal Pandya(c), Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Swapnil Singh, Mohsin Khan, Kyle Mayers, Yash Thakur, Krishnappa Gowtham, Daniel Sams, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Amit Mishra, Karun Nair, Manan Vohra, Mark Wood, Avesh Khan, Romario Shepherd, Arpit Guleria, Suryansh Shedge, Karan Sharma

The fact that these two sides have never met before and were set to meet only for their respective last league games of the season is one of the many peculiarities of this IPL season. Among other peculiarities have been the way KKR have won their few matches. Comprehensive, or even straightforward nail-biters, have been a rare occurence and victories have come via utterly  miraculous batting performances from Rinku Singh; and on occassion from Andre Russell and Shardul Thakur. True to that mood, they now need an utter miracle to qualify for the playoffs. A win here will take them to 14 points, level on three teams above them. But so poor is their net run rate that they then need all of those teams to lose their remaining league matches by ridiculous margins.