Kolkata Knight Riders v Gujarat Titans IPL Tips: Gujarat should be shorter

Kolkata Knight Riders v Gujarat Titans
Monday 21 April, 11:00
TV: live on Sky Sports

Kolkata Knight Riders v Gujarat Titans IPL team news

KKR are smarting after they were blitzed for 95 against Punjab to lose a match they had no right to. It would not be a surprised if they made changes to their XI with an eye on improving the batting.

That could mean Anrich Nortje's return is short-lived with Moeen Ali coming back to the XI. Or KKR could drop Andre Russell and play both. Dre Russ is doing very little bowling or hitting, striking at just 109. 

Possible KKR XI: De Kock, Narine, Rahane, Venkatesh, Raghuvanshi (Arora sub), Rinku, Russell, Moeen, Ramandeep, Harshit, Varun

Gujarat are top of the table with five wins from seven. They are stubborn in their refusal to pick more than three overseas players. We do think they are the best team in it but it is an odd call not to use all resources.

At some stage this could bite them, particularly as Rashid Khan is looking like a weakness. He has taken only four wickets and his economy is 9.7. Kagiso Rabada remains absent but Gerald Coetzee is available.

Possible GT XI: Sai, Gill, Buttler, Rutherford (Ishant sub), Shahrukh, Tewatia, Rashid, Arshad, Kishore, Prasidh, Siraj

Kolkata Knight Riders v Gujarat Titans IPL pitch report

Nine of the last 16 first-innings have seen 200 or more busted. Lucknow smashed 232 on this ground last time out with KKR falling only four short in the chase. There has been talk about KKR deploying something slower to make use of their spin bowlers so we're not entirely confident that following that defeat they get another road.

Sportsbook offer Gujarat total runs at 187.5 at 5/61.84. That's great if we knew they were batting first but it is reliant on the KKR batting showing up if GT chase. As we saw against Punjab there is no guarantees with this KKR team this year.

Kolkata Knight Riders v Gujarat Titans IPL match prediction

It has been a feature of this IPL that KKR have been underrated (another word for friendless) across the markets, whether that be the outright or the match odds. Given their dreadful show against Punjab, not to mention disappointing efforts against Mumbai and RCB, it would seem the flow of money was justified.

So it is surprising that the former champs are favourites to beat the league leaders. The 1.9110/11 is entirely unjustified. Maybe closer to toss time this will go off at a pure choice affair but as it stands Gujarat should be shorter (and favourites) instead of the 2.0811/10. 

Kolkata Knight Riders v Gujarat Titans IPL specials

Sportsbook offer 66/167.00 that both teams score 200, Quinton de Kock top scores for KKR and likewise Shubman Gill for GT. Well, the pitch is often flat, as stated, and Gill is approaching the win zone. We're not sure about De Kock's ability these days but there are worse 66 pokes. At half the odds Jos Buttler, Ajinkya Rahane and De Kock can deliver with a six and catch each. 

Kolkata Knight Riders v Gujarat Titans IPL player bets

The last time these pages previewed GT we talked up Sai Sudharsan as top tournament bat. He is now three runs behind Nic Pooran with a game in hand. In six of his seven innings this term he has busted his runs quote and he is now back in the win zone for a top bat. Sportsbook offer over 35.5 runs at 5/61.84 and 5/23.50 for a tops win. 

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