On Monday, Rajasthan Royals will be looking to do an encore . For both teams, it will be their second match of the tournament. Both have beaten Delhi Daredevils in their opening matches. The difference is that while KKR are the defending champions, Royals are once again the underdogs.
The hosts will be boosted by the arrival of Shane Watson. The Australian allrounder missed Saturday's game against Daredevils and will be eager to get on the field. Watson has had some good outings at the SMS and he relishes the conditions here.
There is more good news for them as skipper Rahul Dravid is fit for the game. "He had a niggle on Saturday, but is fit now," Royals bowler Siddharth Trivedi said. Dravid had picked up a muscle strain while fielding against Daredevils . Kolkata might consider the option of leaving out fast bowler Brett Lee, who was quite expensive despite grabbing two wickets.
The Knights practiced here in the afternoon, while the Royals had an optional session in the evening, with both Dravid and Watson attending. For KKR, it was more like getting a feel of the SMS. The Royals, of course, have played a few practice matches here and know the conditions.
A crucial factor will be the dew, which has been quite heavy for the past couple of weeks.
The SMS also has bigger boundaries when compared to most other venues. Hitting sixes will need extra effort. Of course, for Yusuf Pathan and Brad Hodge, that may not be an impediment.
With the curator promising a batting-friendly wicket, a score of 160 could well be a competitive one.
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