RR vs KKR Dream11 Prediction & Dotball Picks, Playing XI Updates & IPL Fantasy Cricket Tips - April 7th, 2019
In the final game of an entertaining weekend, Rajasthan Royals look to build on their first win of the season against RCB as they face the might of Andre Russell and KKR at their fortress of Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
While KKR have Russell to thank for their lofty position in the IPL Points Table for this year, RR have their own destroyer in Jos Buttler, who returned to his devastating best against RCB, the very same opposition Andre Russell smashed KKR to a famous victory. With the pitch in Jaipur conductive to spin, it will be a real challenge for RR to contain the batting prowess of KKR and come out of the clash with two crucial points.
Squads to choose from
Rajasthan Royals:
Ajinkya Rahane(C), Steve Smith, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Ashton Turner, Liam Livingstone, Prashant Chopra, Shashank Singh, Shubham Ranjane, Mahipal Lomror, Riyan Parag, Jofra Archer, Manan Vohra, Aryaman Birla, Rahul Tripathi, Stuart Binny, Shreyas Gopal, Krishnappa Gowtham, Ish Sodhi, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni, Varun Aaron, Oshane Thomas, S. Midhun
Kolkata Knights Riders:
Dinesh Karthik(C), Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Prithvi Raj, Sandeep Warrier, Shrikant Mundhe, Harry Gurney, KC Cariappa, Joe Denly, Lockie Ferguson, Rinku Singh, Nikhil Naik.
Playing XI Updates
Rajasthan Royals:
Sanju Samson's fitness is in question and he could be included at the expense of Stuart Binny if deemed fit. This forces Steve Smith and Rahul Tripathi to bat deep down the order in spite of their best positions being higher at number three and the opening slot respectively. The bowling looks fairly settled with Shreyas Gopal in fine form for them alongside Jofra Archer and Dhawal Kulkarni. Varun Aaron proved to be ineffective against RCB which could force management to bring back Jaydev Unadkat for his death bowling skills.
Possible XI: Buttler (WK), Rahane (C), Samson/Binny, Smith, Tripathi, Stokes, Gowtham, Archer, Gopal, Kulkarni and Aaron/Unadkat
Kolkata Knight Riders:
KKR should field the same side that featured against RCB on Friday with Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn opening the batting for them. An in-form Russell bodes well for the KKR against whom no score looks enough. The bowling is a cause for concern with none of the KKR bowlers picking wickets at regular intervals although they have managed to contain oppositions in the middle phase.
Possible XI: Lynn, Narine, Uthappa, Rana, Karthik (C & WK), Gill, Russell, Chawla, Kuldeep, Prasidh and Gurney/Ferguson
Head to Head
Total Matches Played: 19
RR: 9 (47.3%)
KKR: 9 (47.3%)
NR: 1 (4.4%)
Matches in Jaipur: 5 (3 RR 2 KKR)
Last 5 Matches: 1 RR 3 KKR 1 NR
Previous Encounters
Last Match: 23 May 2018: KKR (169-7, 20 overs) beat RR (144-4, 20 overs) by 25 runs, Kolkata
Man of the Match: Andre Russell (49 off 25)
Last Match in Jaipur: 18 April 2018: KKR (163-3, 18.5 overs) beat RR (160-8, 20 overs) by 7 wickets
Man of the Match: Nitish Rana ( 2/11 and 35 off 27)
Fantasy Tips and Suggestions
Wicket-keeper: Jos Buttler should be picked ahead of KKR captain, Dinesh Karthik with his destructive ability at the top of the order known to one and all. With the powerplay overs being crucial to either team's chances of winning the match, one should back Buttler to provide RR with a trademark start against the likes of Prasidh Krishna and Piyush Chawla.
Batsmen: Unlike his fellow Australian team-mate, David Warner, Steve Smith hasn't lit the tournament with his wide array of shots that he is so well known for. He should be backed to score some runs on Sunday along with the likes of Nitish Rana and Chris Lynn while one of Ajinkya Rahane or Rahul Tripathi could fit the bill as the fourth batting option in the fantasy team.
All-rounders: Ben Stokes and Andre Russell are the lynchpins of their respective sides and are must-haves in the side while one of Krishnappa Gowtham and Sunil Narine could also prove to be handy if picked for this enticing clash.
Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna and Jofra Archer are in good form and should pick a wicket or two with the ball while the likes of Shreyas Gopal and Piyush Chawla could also prove their worth on a pitch that is on the slower side.
Captain: Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes are viable options for captaincy with their ability to influence the proceedings while the prospect of Andre Russell looms large after demolishing the RCB bowlers on Friday.
Dotball Fantasy Suggestion #1: Jos Buttler (WK), Chris Lynn, Nitish Rana, Steve Smith, Rahul Tripathi, Ben Stokes, Andre Russell, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav. Captain: Jos Buttler
Dotball Fantasy Suggestion #2: Jos Buttler (WK), Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Steve Smith, Rahul Tripathi, Sunil Narine, Krishnappa Gowtham, Ben Stokes, Kuldeep Yadav, Jofra Archer and Prasidh Krishna. Captain: Ben Stokes