 Knight Riders, Royal Challengers hope for better performance
7th May 2008 23:04 IST
Agencies
With their stars failing to live up to pre-tournament billing, two struggling sides Kolkata Knight Riders and Bangalore Royal Challengers face off in a crucial battle to stay afloat in the Indian Premier League in Kolkata on Thursday.
After a string of four losses, the Sourav Ganguly-led Knight Riders now occupy the fifth place, while the visitors languish at the bottom of the eight-team table despite having gleaned four points each.
The Knight Riders have failed to keep up the momentum after a good start and the inability of their top order to forge good partnerships in the initial overs is giving sleepless nights to the team management.
"The batting is an area of concern. We have to back each other and it's time for all of us to perform," Ganguly, himself going through a run drought, said at the customary match-eve media meet.
Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar, who joined the team two days back after his Pakistan Cricket Board-imposed ban was lifted for a month, does not feature among the 14 members shortlisted for the match.
"He is coming up reasonably well. He wants to play. But he is not in the condition he should be," said Knight Riders coach John Buchanan.
Delhi's Aakash Chopra is in the squad and speculation is rife that Ganguly would come lower down the order, with any two among Chopra, Australian Brad Hodge and Pakistan's Salman Butt likely to be asked to open the innings.
With hard-hitting Aussie David Hussey and Pakistan pacer Umar Gul being certainties, Zimbabwe's wicket-keeper batsman Tatenda Taibu will have to sit out once again. In-form Wriddhiman Saha will then continue to don the gloves.
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