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Rajasthan Royals (RR) will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final group stage match of the IPL 2024. Both teams have already secured their spots in the playoffs, but the stakes remain high, particularly for RR.
Match Overview
Rajasthan Royals:
- Status: Qualified for Playoffs
- Form: Four consecutive losses
- Motivation: RR need a win to ensure a top-two finish. A loss, combined with a Sunrisers Hyderabad win, would push them to third place, forcing them to play in the Eliminator rather than Qualifier 1.
Kolkata Knight Riders:
- Status: Qualified for Playoffs as Table Toppers
- Form: Dominant, with nine wins in thirteen matches
- Motivation: KKR are confirmed to finish in the top two and will play in Qualifier 1, marking their best league stage finish in IPL history.
Team News & Key Players
Rajasthan Royals:
- Team News: Tom Kohler-Cadmore struggled in the absence of Jos Buttler. RR might bring back Shimron Hetmyer if fit, or use Donovan Ferreira.
- Key Players:
- Sanju Samson: Leading the team with 504 runs in 13 games.
- Riyan Parag: Top scorer with 531 runs, crucial in tough situations.
- Trent Boult: Experienced pacer vital for early breakthroughs.
- Yuzvendra Chahal: Leading bowler with 17 wickets, a key wicket-taker.
- Possible Impact Player Substitutes: Nandre Burger, Tanush Kotian, Keshav Maharaj, Kuldeep Sen, Tom Kohler-Cadmore
Predicted Playing XI:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Sanju Samson (c & wk)
- Riyan Parag
- Dhruv Jurel
- Rovman Powell
- Shimron Hetmyer
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- Trent Boult
- Sandeep Sharma
- Avesh Khan
- Yuzvendra Chahal
Kolkata Knight Riders:
- Team News: Phil Salt has left for the UK and will be replaced by Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
- Key Players:
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz: A destructive batter ready to prove his worth.
- Sunil Narine: All-rounder with 461 runs and 15 wickets.
- Andre Russell: Key contributor with both bat and ball.
- Varun Chakravarthy: Leading wicket-taker with 18 wickets.
- Possible Impact Player Substitutes: Angkrish Raghuwanshi, Suyash Sharma, Manish Pandey, Ankul Roy, Vaibhav Arora
Predicted Playing XI:
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
- Sunil Narine
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Shreyas Iyer (c)
- Andre Russell
- Nitish Rana
- Rinku Singh
- Ramandeep Singh
- Mitchell Starc
- Harshit Rana
- Varun Chakravarthy
Match Conditions
Toss Prediction: Teams prefer to chase due to small ground advantages and the impact player rule. Winning the toss should see the captain opting to bowl first.
Pitch Report: The Barsapara Stadium pitch offered turn in the previous game, with a par score around 180. Spinners could play a significant role again.
Weather Report: There is over a 50% chance of rain on match day, with high humidity (73%) and temperatures in the high 20s.
Betting Tips and Odds
Top Team Batsmen:
- RR: Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal
- KKR: Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Shreyas Iyer
Top Team Bowlers:
- RR: Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan
- KKR: Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell
Live Streaming & TV Channels
TV Channels:
- India: Star Network
- UK: Sky Sports
- Australia: Fox Sports
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ
- South Africa: SuperSport
- USA: Willow TV
Live Streaming:
- India: Jio Cinema
- Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal: Yupp TV
- Other regions: Willow, Foxtel Go, Kayo
Prediction: Rajasthan Royals to win. Despite recent losses, their familiarity with the Guwahati conditions gives them a slight edge over KKR, who have primarily played on batting-friendly surfaces.
Our Winner: Rajasthan Royals to beat Kolkata Knight Riders.
Both teams will be keen to end the group stage on a high. RR will aim to secure a top-two finish, while KKR will look to maintain their momentum as table toppers. Expect a thrilling contest between two strong sides.
