IPL 2021: "KKR might have a slight edge because the match is in Sharjah" - Sanjay Manjrekar
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) might have a slight advantage over the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in today's IPL match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The winner of the match will play in Qualifier 2 against the Delhi Capitals on October 13.
The 56-year-old opined that KKR have quality spinners in their ranks who can exploit the sluggish pitch in Sharjah. Manjrekar posted a video on his official Instagram account while previewing today's high-octane clash. You can find the video below:
In his preview, Manjrekar mentioned that KKR have two match-winning spinners in Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, along with brilliant all-rounder Shakib Al-Hasan. He lauded the team's bowling unit and backed them to do well against the RCB. Manjrekar said:
"The match is going to be played in Sharjah and that's where it feels like KKR might have a slight edge because of the bowling group that they have. They have two game-changing spinners in Varun Chakravarty and Sunil Narine. Shakib Al Hasan is likely to play as well so spin will come in pretty handy in Sharjah. The bowling looks strong with Lockie Ferguson back in form and Shivam Mavi has looked pretty good."
The last time the two sides met, the KKR bowlers dominated the RCB batters and restricted them to just 92 runs in Abu Dhabi. KKR openers Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer made the chase look easy and beat RCB with ten overs to spare.
Nitish Rana hasn't got a big score but has batted the best of the lot: Sanjay Manjrekar
The former cricketer-turned commentator also commended the Kolkata-based franchise's batters. Manjrekar stated that the trio of Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer and Rahul Tripathi have looked good and made significant contributions to the side since the restart of the tournament.
Manjrekar, though, named left-hander Nitish Rana as the player to watch out for in today's all-important game. He praised Rana and even went on to say that he has looked like KKR's best batter this season. Manjrekar said:
"Batting wise some good signs now. Gill is showing some self-confidence. Rahul Tripathi has been a revelation. Venkatesh here has always been dangerous. Nitish Rana hasn't got a big score but has batted the best of the lot. He has struck the ball beautifully every time has come to bat. So on the big night, he might be the player to watch out for. Morgan is obviously out of form but his captaincy is making up for his runs."
The 56-year old also addressed some of the loopholes in KKR's batting unit. Manjrekar opined that if their top-order fails to score runs, the onus will be on their underperforming captain Eoin Morgan and Dinesh Karthik, who hasn't faced many balls this season. Manjrekar added:
"So when you look at the bowling it seems like everything is covered, the batting has some loopholes. You would think if KKR loses Venkatesh Iyer and Rahul Tripathi early, then they would have to expect Morgan and Karthik to fire, which hasn't happened this season."
Manjrekar concluded his video by predicting KKR to come out on top against Kohli's men. He stated that Morgan's side have a superior bowling unit, and more importantly, the leadership in the group gives them an edge over their opponents.