Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s LIVE coverage of the IPL 2022 match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders from the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

KKR VS RR PLAYING XI

Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI: Aaron Finch, Anukul Roy, Shreyas Iyer (c), Baba Indrajith (wk), Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Shivam Mavi.

Rajasthan Royals Playing XI: Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (c) (wk), Karun Nair, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Sen, Yuzvendra Chahal.

TOSS: Kolkata Knight Riders has won the toss and elected to bowl. Two changes for KKK – Shivam Mavi and Anukul Roy are in. Venkatesh Iyer misses out. For Rajasthan Royals, Karun Nair replaces Daryl Mitchell.

PITCH REPORT: The boundaries are 66m and 73m square of the wicket. It is a hard and dry surface with a bit of turn on offer. This is the same pitch that was used for the LSG vs DC game yesterday. Matthew Hayden reckons it will be a high scoring contest.

18-50 IST: Anukul Roy will make his KKR debut today after receiving his cap from Rinku Singh.

IPL 2022 AT WANKHEDE STADIUM (STATS)

Total matches played: 12

Batting first won: 6

Batting second won: 6

Average first innings score: 172

Average first innings winning score: 188

Highest first innings score: 222/2

Lowest score successfully defended: 165/6

Highest score successfully chased: 196

RR AT WANKHEDE STADIUM IN IPL 2022

RR 222/2 (20 overs) beat DC 207/8 (20 overs) by 15 runs

RR 165/6 (20 overs) beat LSG 162/8 (20 overs) by three runs

RR 169/3 (20 overs) lost to RCB 173/6 (19.1 overs) by four wickets

KKR AT WANKHEDE STADIUM IN IPL 2022

KKR 146/9 (20 overs) lost to DC 150/6 (19 overs) by four wickets

KKR 141/4 (14.3 overs) beat PBKS 137 (18.2 overs) by six wickets

KKR 133/4 (18.3 overs) beat CSK 131/5 (20 overs) by six wickets

IPL 2022 AT WANKHEDE STADIUM (LAST FIVE MATCHES)

Lucknow Super Giants beat Delhi Capitals by six runs

Delhi Capitals beat Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets

Gujarat Titans beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets

Punjab Kings beat Chennai Super Kings by 11 runs

Lucknow Super Giants beat Mumbai Indians by 36 runs

RR vs KKR PREDICTED XI

Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (c) (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Sen, Prasidh Krishna.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Aaron Finch, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Sheldon Jackson (wk), Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine, Aman Khan, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.

MATCH PREVIEW

The high-flying Rajasthan Royals (RR) will look to shrug off the disappointment of a five-wicket defeat against Mumbai Indians when it meets a struggling Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a return leg Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday.

The Knights, who got off to a bright start in the 2022 edition, are now on a five-match losing streak. Captain Shreyas Iyer’s statement after his side’s loss to Delhi Capitals was telling.

“The combinations haven’t worked for us. We are trying to settle in on one,” he said. KKR has made 13 changes to its playing eleven – most by any team – at the halfway mark.

On Monday, Orange Cap holder Jos Buttler and Purple Cap owner Yuzvendra Chahal will be looking to pick up from where they left in the first leg against KKR on April 18.

It was the first time in the IPL’s 15-year history that a batter (Buttler) scored a century and a bowler (Chahal) took a hat-trick and five wickets in the same fixture.

Although Shreyas and Aaron Finch scored 85 and 58 respectively, RR pipped KKR by seven runs. The batting has been a let down for KKR, having lost the most wickets in the first six overs thus far – 18.

With Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna bolstering the Royals’ attack in the PowerPlay, the Knights’ top-order will have to stay sharp. For RR, Shimron Hetmyer’s finishing acts have often saved its blushes.

However, the Guyanese batter, who is presently IPL 2022’s leading run-scorer (158) at the death, will need the likes of Riyan Parag and Daryl Mitchell to provide him able support from the other end.

– Santadeep Dey

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