The heat is already very much on the Kolkata Knight Riders with their long home run nearing its end. Their inability to defend 262 against Punjab Kings last Friday night has put their bowling group under serious pressure.

If that wasn't enough, Delhi Capitals, their opponents on Monday, features Sourav Ganguly, their director of cricket, who knows the Eden conditions much better than everyone in the Knight Riders camp combined.

Having spoken to Eden curator Sujan Mukherjee and the groundsmen, the former BCCI and Cricket Association of Bengal president will certainly be providing his inputs to the resurgent Capitals, who have won four of their last five matches. The Knight Riders may well need to keep that in mind.

"Yes, the team has gained some sort of momentum in the last few games. But still a long way to go... So, we are taking one game at a time," Sourav said prior to the Capitals' optional training session on Sunday.

Current form-wise and in terms of mindset too, the visiting team, winning their previous two games, are obviously better-placed than the Knights. Bowling has let the Knights down mostly in the losses they have suffered so far, and their task will become even harder against the 22-year-old Australian Jake Fraser-McGurk, who's been a nemesis for bowlers with his super-explosive batting upfront.

It's not just about Fraser-McGurk though, even captain Rishabh Pant has been consistent in putting away the loose deliveries on offer. The same goes for South African Tristan Stubbs.

The Knights will most likely have Mitchell Starc's services as he appears to have recovered from the finger injury and bowled full throttle at Sunday's nets. But the left-arm quick, too, has had a hard time in these conditions previously, while the pitch for Monday's game promises another run-fest. On this same surface, Jos Buttler had slammed an unbeaten ton to single-handedly take the game away from KKR and help Rajasthan Royals chase down 224.

In fact, the firm bounce on these Eden wickets should further facilitate the Fraser-McGurks with their strokeplay, particularly hitting through the line and the stand-and-deliver stuff. Home advantage hasn't been a factor so far in this IPL, which the Knights too have realised.

"The pitch conditions are similar everywhere. Everywhere there have been big scores. So, one cannot complain about the wickets in particular," KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit said.

"Bowlers need to be given some kind of security," stated Sourav.

Batting-wise, the Knights have shown they do have enough firepower, especially with the starts Phil Salt and Sunil Narine have given them. But to counter that, the Capitals have a trump card in the form of chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav, who can pick up wickets even if he goes for runs.

Precisely, the bowlers' discipline will play a key role in determining who has the last laugh, Sourav's army or Shah Rukh Khan's Knights.