With Chris Lynn back in training, the Kolkata Knight Riders will look to pick up that all-important eighth win, when they host the Rising Pune Supergiant in IPL 2017 at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
KKR have dealt with the loss of Lynn quite well, with Sunil Narine opening the batting to decent effect and Colin de Grandhomme contributing whenever needed.
However, KKR will be boosted by the fact that Lynn, out since dislocating his shoulder against the Mumbai Indians on April 9, is back in training and is targeting a return to the Kolkata Knight Riders lineup sometime just before the playoffs.
This game, of course, comes too early for Lynn, who was fantastic opening the innings with Gambhir in the few games he played, but it isn't like KKR need to make too many changes or are in need of extra firepower at the moment.
With Narine doing enough at the top, Gautam Gambhir in sparkling form, Robin Uthappa in imperious touch and Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan doing the business with the bat as well, KKR are sitting pretty in second in the table, and one win away from what should guarantee them a place in the playoffs.
While they suffered a heavy defeat to the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last match, KKR will be confident of doing the business at the Eden Gardens.
With the pitch at the Eden Gardens assisting the faster bowlers this season, it does look like Shakib Al Hasan will miss out again, unless KKR feel the all-rounder, who has played just one game in IPL 2017, deserves one final chance before he leaves to join up with the Bangladesh squad on Thursday to prepare for a triangular series in Ireland.
RPS are one of the form teams of IPL 2017, having won five out of their last six games.
Ben Stokes was the hero in their last match, striking a brilliant century after returning from a shoulder injury which had kept him out of a couple of matches.
Stokes came in for the fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, who, having received a rare opportunity, had grabbed it with both hands by putting in a man of the match bowling performance against RCB.
However, with Stokes undroppable, Ferguson will need to edge out Dan Christian if he is to find a place in this RPS playing XI.
That might happen too, considering the nature of the wicket and the fact that a bowler like Ferguson could prove to be a really useful weapon against KKR.
Christian, though, has bowled well and showed his usefulness with the bat in the last game, so the Australian is likely to keep his place.
Confirmed playing XI:
KKR: Sunil Narine, Gautam Gambhir (C), Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Suryakumar Yadav, Sheldon Jackson, Colin de Grandhomme, Chris Woakes, Kuldeep Yadav, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Umesh Yadav.
RPS: Rahul Tripathi, Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith (C), MS Dhoni, Ben Stokes, Manoj Tiwary, Dan Christian, Washington Sundar, Jaydev Unadkat, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir.
