A bruised Rajasthan Royals will look to bounce back strongly and deepen the misery of a floundering Kolkata Knight Riders when the two sides with contrasting fortunes clash in an afternoon IPL fixture here on Sunday. The match pits one of the stronger outfits this season against arguably the most out-of-sorts side.

While Rajasthan had surged with four consecutive wins before being halted by Sunrisers Hyderabad, KKR have progressed in the opposite trajectory, still searching for their first win after six matches. Under Ajinkya Rahane, defeats have been the only constant, often from winning positions, leaving the side short on confidence and momentum. Their only point has come through a rain washout against Punjab Kings here.

KKR’s struggles have been compounded by an understrength pace attack, with Harshit Rana and Akash Deep ruled out due to injuries, while Matheesha Pathirana is yet to join. Yet, their on-field decisions under Rahane and head coach Abhishek Nayar have also come under scrutiny.

Selection calls and match management have raised eyebrows. The “entry points” of Chakravarthy has been particularly puzzling. Low on confidence from the T20 World Cup, the premier India spinner was used in the power play early in the season, conceding heavily, including a 25-run over to Abhishek Sharma, denting his confidence early on. It took him four matches to open his wickets tally with scalps of Jos Buttler and Washington Sundar in Ahmedabad.

There have also been questionable selection calls with New Zealand’s top T20 World Cup scorer Tim Seifert featuring only in the last match, while star allrounder Rachin Ravindra still warming the bench. Several promising domestic talents too are yet to get a look-in.

Despite a decorated support staff featuring Shane Watson, Tim Southee and Dwayne Bravo, Kolkata Knight Riders have looked short of ideas on the field. With time running out fast, it’s for the management to take some bold calls especially in terms of captain Rahane and coach Nayar. Rahane’s toss decisions have been questionable.

Against GT, he opted to bat on a “two-paced surface with early moisture”, a call exposed by Kagiso Rabada as KKR slumped to 32/3 inside four overs.

If the spinners can exploit the afternoon conditions, KKR might finally find a foothold against the top-heavy RR. Chakravarthy returning to wickets is a major positive, as is Cameron Green rediscovering form with a sparkling 79.

Rajasthan have arrived in Kolkata early to acclimatise after their defeat in Hyderabad. But their top order will be wary after a collective failure against SRH. That leaves the contest delicately poised.

The match will start at 3.30 pm.

Also read: Injury-plagued LSG face rampaging Punjab Kings