If Kolkata Knight Riders lose to the Sunrisers at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday, they will almost be out of contention for this season’s playoffs.

It’s thus a do-or-die situation for the Knight Riders as they need to win all of their remaining games to keep their last-four hopes alive. Only in 2014 they came through such a similar situation to emerge champions.

Some among the current group of the KKR players were part of the line-up in the 2021 edition, when the franchise faced a tough situation and yet managed to reach the final. The likes of Venkatesh Iyer and Nitish Rana were part of that team when they finally finished the season as runners-up. Will Rana & Co. be able to do an encore this time around?

To be fair to the Knight Riders, they have every reason to feel optimistic as none of the teams have really gone on to dominate right through this season. Besides, even though the Sunrisers had beaten KKR at the Eden in their last meeting, they have been as inconsistent as the Knights.

What also seems to bode well for the Knights is the improving condition of opener Jason Roy, who missed the last game (against Gujarat Titans) owing to a back niggle. The England white-ball opener is amongst runs and if he’s back in the XI, it will surely be a boost to KKR’s batting.

Roy’s inclusion brings in a poser at the same time.

With Rahmanullah Gurbaz scoring a solid 39-ball 81 in the last game after getting an opportunity in Roy’s absence, it will be difficult and unjust to drop the Afghan in order to accommodate the Englishman.

At the same time, if both Roy and Gurbaz are in the XI, then the Knights will have to continue with an all-Indian pace attack. That’s because off-spinner Sunil Narine and all-rounder Andre Russell appear to be the Knights’ automatic choices in the XI unless they are indisposed.

Will Shardul Thakur bowl? No confirmation yet on the matter, though assistant coach James Foster suggested the other day that Shardul’s fitness (after sustaining a niggle) is improving.

Like their batting, the Knights’ bowling too hasn’t been consistent at all.