Eden Gardens Pitch Report, KKR vs LSG: Kolkata Knight Riders will host their final game of Indian Premier League 2023 at Eden Gardens. With Nitish Rana lashing out at Eden Gardens curators for not supporting their efforts of spin, the surface will remain a mystery. KKR face off against Krunal Pandya-led Lucknow Super Giants. The knights haven’t been up to par this season but have a ray of hope to make the final four with a win against the Giants. However, will the Eden Gardens pitch support spin or it will aid seamers with a lot of rain on Friday remains to be seen. Follow IPL 2023 LIVE updates with InsideSport.IN
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KKR, with their 12 points and just one more game left, can gain just two more points, which leaves them dependent on how other teams perform. KKR can only qualify if RCB and MI lose their final matches and they win their final match comprehensively to attain a better net run rate (NRR) than them. LSG, with their seven wins, look sure-shot to qualify, but a loss here can cause their whole campaign to crumble as we reach the end of the IPL 2023 season.
Eden Gardens Pitch Report
Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata has hosted a total of 85 Indian Premier League matches. The pitch here is well known to be batting-friendly, and due to its short dimensions and dew coming into play in the second inning, defending anything below 180 is virtually impossible on this surface.
However, if the last match is anything to go by, toss will be tricky. KKR struggled batting first and could only manage 149. Yashasvi Jaiswal played a career-defining knock of 98 not out as RR chased down the target in just 13.1 overs.
Add rain to the equation, KKR will be frustrated with the home pitch. There were a lot of rain on Friday and that could make things trickier on Saturday. The moisture means, there is a high chance that the ball will swing. KKR will be hoping to have Umesh Yadav back to do the heavy-lifting or someone like Tim Southee or Lockie Fergusen to spearhead the pace attack.
This will be the seventh and final match to be played here this season. In the first three matches, the side batting first went on to score 200 or more, a testament to the pitch’s batter-friendly nature. The last three games have been won by the chasing side, but the first-inning scores have diminished a bit. The 4th and 5th games saw sides chase totals of 180, while the 6th game saw RR chase a well below-par total of 149 in just 13.1 overs with 9 wickets in hand.
The weather in Kolkata is expected to be hot and very humid, with temperatures around 31°C during the night.
Ki hocche, Kolkata? 👀 pic.twitter.com/KQGZ123KGJ
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) May 19, 2023
Out of the 85 IPL matches played at Eden Gardens Stadium, the chasing side has won 50 times, while the side batting first has won 35 times. The average first-inning score at this venue is 163, with the highest score made here being 235 by the Chennai Super Kings in the third game played here this season. Conversely, the lowest score recorded is 49 runs, scored by RCB in 2017.
Considering the pitch conditions and the record at Eden Gardens this season, it is expected that the side that wins the toss will choose to bowl first. The team with the better bowling lineup may have a slight edge.
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