Out of tune and bereft of ideas, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) may ring in sweeping changes in search of their first win of the season when they face a Mohammed Shami-inspired Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL, here on Thursday.
Shami is fresh from his outstanding 2/9 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he dismissed Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head in successive overs — the same duo who had battered KKR the other day.
The ‘local’ man Shami, a fine exponent of straight seam bowling and movement, will relish the conditions at Eden Gardens and could emerge as a key threat for a KKR who are yet to win after three matches.
A glimpse of what to expect was seen on Monday when PBKS’ Australian speedster Xavier Bartlett showed how effective straight seam bowling can be on a grassy Eden pitch, blowing away KKR’s top order by dismissing overseas duo Finn Allen and Cameron Green in the space of three balls.
From 16/2 in two overs, KKR were fortunate to escape with a point after their match against Punjab Kings was washed out.
Because of a trough stretching from Gangetic West Bengal to the Gulf of Mannar, rain has been a constant over the past three days and is forecast around late Wednesday and early Thursday.
However, being a late 7.30pm start the match is unlikely to be affected much, which should lift the mood.
Coming back to the contest, while Shami will be a major threat in the power play, tackling the rest of LSG’s attack including Prince Yadav and mystery spinner Digvesh Rathi could also be decisive.