The race for the IPL playoff spots is well and truly on with the Kolkata Knight Riders taking on Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens on Tuesday. In a highly crucial clash for the two teams, who are level on points (12), the margins are fine as the competition approaches the business end.

Due to their inferior net run-rates, the two sides might need to win both their remaining fixtures to assure themselves of a place in the last-four.

KNIGHT RIDERS NEED TO MAKE HOME ADVANTAGE COUNT

In a playoff race which is getting murkier with each passing game, Kolkata have their fate in their own hands for now. Two victories in the remaining two will confirm a last-four spot and as such, they will need to make the most of playing at home against the Royals.

It is even more highly imperative for Dinesh Karthik’s men given their last fixture comes away at the home of the current IPL leaders Sunrisers Hyderabad who are looking indomitable at the moment.

BUTTLER CARRYING ROYALS SINGLE-HANDEDLY

At the half-way stage, the Royals looked all but out of playoff contention. That picture has changed drastically since Jos Buttler was promoted to open the innings. The Englishman has registered five half-centuries on the bounce since then with two unbeaten scores of 90 plus in his last two innings.

Buttler has almost single-handedly dragged the Royals back into contention with the side having won three games on the trot now. With the other batsmen in the side yet to really click, Buttler will need to keep up that astonishing form to keep Rajasthan’s winning momentum.

PLAYERS IN-FOCUS

The Knight Riders notched up the highest score in this season’s IPL when they amassed 245 runs on the board against Kings XI Punjab on Saturday. Two West Indies stars Sunil Narine and Andre Russell were at the forefront of that effort.

The Caribbean duo has been the mainstay for most of the good things Kolkata have done this season with both bat and ball and they will be the biggest threats to Ajinkya Rahane‘s men on Tuesday.

LIKELY LINE-UPS

Kolkata Knight Riders: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (c, wk), Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.

Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, K Gowtham, Rahul Tripathi, Jofra Archer, Ish Sodhi, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat.