Indian T20 League 2022: Match 66- Kolkata vs Lucknow- Preview, Paying XIs, Pitch Reports & Updates

Kolkata and Lucknow will compete in the 66th match of the Indian T20 League. It's a must win game for Kolkata as a loss will end their campaign in the Indian T20 League 2022. The Kolkata team stands sixth in the points table, with six wins in 13 games. On the other hand, Lucknow stands third with eight wins in 13 games. The encounter will be played ad the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on the 18th of May.

Team Updates

Kolkata

The Shreyas Iyer-led team has had many ups and downs this season. The previous two games, though, have gone in their favour. They won both games by big margins. They would also try to get the best result in their last match. A win in the match does not guarantee them a berth in the playoffs, but it will put them in the running. Some of the team's key players will have to perform well in the match to win them the game.

Shreyas Iyer, Umesh Yadav, and Nitish Rana will have to step up their game. All these players have given on and off performances throughout the season. On the other hand, Andre Russell will look to continue his form from the last game. Ajinkya Rahane has been ruled out of the tournament and won't be available.

Players to watch out for

Andre Russell- Andre Russell was outstanding for the two-time champions in the last game against Hyderabad. He performed well with the bat and the ball, scoring 49 runs and picking up three wickets. The team would expect him to give similar all-round performance in their last league-stage game.

Tim Southee- Tim Southee has been mighty impressive for Kolkata this season. He's taken wickets consistently and hasn't given up many runs. In eight appearances for the team, he has taken 14 wickets at an economy rate of 7.03.

Probable Playing XI

Venkatesh Iyer, Baba Indrajith/Aaron Finch, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Sam Billings/Sheldon Jackson (wk), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Varun Chakravarthy

Lucknow

The Lucknow team, contrary to the Kolkata team, is coming out of two losses in their last two games. Both these losses were significant losses. They lost to Gujarat by 62 runs and lost to Rajasthan by 24 runs. The KL Rahul-led team has had a great overall season so far. They would like to win their last league game in order to finish in the top four.

The team's batting lineup has not been consistent in the last few games. Even their captain, KL Rahul, who has had a fantastic season, has struggled in recent games. Despite their recent struggles, Lucknow may not change their starting lineup in the next game.

Players to watch out for

KL Rahul- KL Rahul is Lucknow's leading run-scorer this season, with 469 runs with two centuries and two half-centuries. He has played the game with the proper intent all season and will hope to do so again in the upcoming game.

Avesh Khan- Avesh Khan has had a fantastic season with the Lucknow team. He has picked up 17 wickets in 11 games at an economy rate of 7.86. With his sheer pace, he can be a game changer for Lucknow in the next game.

Probable Playing XI

Quinton de Kock (wk), KL Rahul (c), Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Jason Holder, Mohsin Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Dushmantha Chameera, Avesh Khan

Pitch Report

The ball gripped on the surface during the previous game at the DY Patil Stadium. The conditions will remain the same and batters will have a difficult time during the start of their innings. The team that wins the toss might choose to bat first.

Match Details

Date- 18th May 2022

Time- 7:30 p.m (IST)

Venue- DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai

Broadcast- Star Sports Network, Disney+Hotstar