The fickle format has taught teams to take losses in their stride, and no one needs that philosophy more than the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the moment
RCB's Chris Gayle during his 38-ball 77 against Gujarat Lions in Rajkot on Tuesday.Pic/AFP
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Kolkata: The fickle format has taught teams to take losses in their stride, and no one needs that philosophy more than the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the moment. The business of dispelling doubts that defeat to bottom-placed Gujarat Lions would have ushered in has acquired strident urgency in the face of their biggest threat yet in IPL-10.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have come calling, and KKR get just one day to recover and restore self-belief. Their relative positions on the league ladder and 'home advantage' would suggest that KKR go into today's showdown as firm favourites but events over the past few days, particularly the running into form of Chris Gayle, make it a whole new ball game.
The burly West Indian, dropped for a match, returned to announce form with a flurry of sixes and fours against the Lions – a characteristic Gayle storm that destroys all in its path. It doesn't help that the Jamaican has shown a particular liking for KKR's bowling over the years. With AB de Villiers back from a bout of back pain and the likes of Virat Kohli and Shane Watson available too, RCB have ominous firepower at their disposal. Containment will be the key for KKR, and they will be a trifle uneasy that they failed on that front on Friday.
The wicket from the previous match will be used and, rather significantly, it has been shorn of all grass. With quality in spinning options, KKR may well 'go slow' to rein in RCB's big hitters.
Combating the fearsome batting duo of Kohli and Gayle is no less than going into the battlefield, KKR bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji said on Saturday.
"It's hard to plan. It's like army men going to the battlefield. You may have a lot of planning but on the day, you just try to disorient a little bit. But the important thing is what comes to us and what we can control," he added, reminding that KKR have been doing a lot of things well to get to where they are now.
In Yuzvendra Chahal, Pawan Negi and Samuel Badree, RCB too have a compelling spin combo.
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