Quinton de Kock, the experienced South African wicketkeeper-batter, has been left out of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ lineup for their high-profile match against Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens on Monday.
After a run of underwhelming performances, the veteran has been dropped from the playing XI, making way for Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
Gurbaz will not only fill in as wicketkeeper but also open the innings for KKR. He’s expected to bring some fresh energy to the top order for the Ajinkya Rahane-led side.
Another notable change in KKR’s setup is the exclusion of pacer Anrich Nortje. In his place, all-rounder Moeen Ali has been slotted in.
Moeen, although not impactful with the bat this season, has impressed with the ball. His standout performance came last month against Rajasthan Royals, offering hope for a stronger showing this time around.
Gujarat Titans have also tweaked their playing combination. Indian spinner Washington Sundar has replaced Arshad Khan in the XI.
Arshad, along with senior pacer Ishant Sharma, remains on the impact player list. The management could call on either depending on how the second half of the match unfolds.
In a strategic move, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to field first. The home side will be hoping to chase under lights on a pitch known for getting better as the game progresses.
A victory for Gujarat Titans will help them cement their top spot on the points table. For KKR, a win would push them to sixth place, giving their campaign a much-needed boost.
Playing XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (C), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (C), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Washington Sundar, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
KKR Impact Players: Manish Pandey, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Luvnith Sisodia, Anukul Roy
GT Impact Players: Ishant Sharma, Mahipal Lomror, Anuj Rawat, Karim Janat, Arshad Khan
