KKR have been in one of their worst patches of form this season losing their last five matches. They have to win all of their remaining fixtures if they wish to enter the top four.
The Kolkata Knight Riders, who have been on a five-match losing spree, could take heart from the fact that Rajasthan Royals lost their previous game to the bottom-placed Mumbai Indians. But a slightly inflated sense of optimism alone cannot help them against RR tonight unless they buck up massively in batting, bowling and fielding.
Kolkata Knight Riders have their back against the wall in the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League. Having lost their last five matches, KKR do not have any margin to slip up further and have to win their remaining fixtures to have the minimum number of points required to enter the playoffs this season.
The Shreyas Iyer-led franchise have not been able to settle on a combination and are going through a rough patch. They will be taking on Rajasthan Royals on Monday, 2 May, hoping to cause and upset and keep their chances alive in the league.
In a video released by KKR ahead of the game, KKR’s star all-rounder Andre Russell can be seen giving a message to the fans, vowing that they will take their last five fixtures as five finals.
Russell can also be seen thanking the true fans of the franchise who have chosen to stay and cheer for the team even in the toughest of times.
“It’s not the position that we really wanted to be in at this moment. I think you guys have been the loyal fans that any franchise would really want. And I think in times like these we all know who our fans are,” said Russell in the video.