(Cricket news) The IPL is reaching its final stage and no team has yet secured a spot in the playoffs. The two new teams Gujarat and Lucknow are top of the table. Mumbai Indians have already been eliminated while Chennai Super Kings chances of qualification are very rare. Saturday there will be a double header as 7th place Punjab Kings will take on 3rd place Rajasthan Royals and 2nd place Lucknow Super Giants will take on 8th place Kolkata Knight Riders.
LSG are having a very good first season in the IPL while KKR have been struggling. The match is definitely a must win for Kolkata who after 5 consecutive losses won their last one against Rajasthan. KKR could still manage to qualify for the playoffs but they need consistency. Shreyas Iyer and Brendon McCullum have been making loads of changes to the side as retained players Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Chakravarthy have also been dropped. KKR's biggest challenge will be to get the better of Lucknow's breakthrough player Mohsin Khan who has been in incredible form. Avesh Khan, who missed the last game should return to the side as well. LSG don't have a fixed batting order as they keep chopping and changing. Tim Southee and Umesh Yadav are the only two Kolkata players who have been consistent and they will hold the key for their side's success. Shreyas Iyer who came into the IPL as the most in-form player hasn't been good enough and he needs to start firing now.
Punjab Kings match against Rajasthan Royals is very crucial for both the teams. A win could take PBKS into the top 4 while a win for RR could take them to 2nd place. The big battle will be the in-form Liam Livingston against RR's spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal. Kuldeep Sen is another Rajasthan bowler who has been in incredible form. His raw pace has been causing opponents a lot of trouble. Orange Cap holder Jos Buttler will be facing Kagiso Rabada in what promises to be a fiery contest. Jonny Bairstow was promoted to open the batting in the last game with Mayank Agarwal deciding to bat at number 4. It will be interesting to see if PBKS stick with the strategy.
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