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Kochi: Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir won the toss and decided to bat against Kochi Tuskers Kerala in their Indian Premier League match at the Nehru stadium in Kochi on Thursday.
Knight Riders have rested pacer L Balaji and brought in leg-spinner Sarabjit Ladda. Kochi Tuskers have picked the same team that played against Delhi.
For the Knight Riders, the destination is very much within sight and reach - as just two wins in the remaining five games will seal their progress beyond the league stage of this Twenty20 competition.
Kolkata lost by a mere six runs when the two teams squared off at the Eden Gardens on April 20 but fortunes have turned dramatically for both sides since then.
And the men in purple and gold are eyeing the first of those 'mandatory' wins against the inconsistent Kochi Tuskers. And on recent form, it will take a brave man to put a wager on the Tuskers, who will be playing their final home game at this venue.
It's not just the six wins they have racked up from nine matches that makes Knight Riders a force to reckon with in IPL 4. The convincing manner in which they have been winning matches has not been lost on their rivals either.
Kochi, on the other hand, have been inconsistent so far. The tournament debutants impressed by beating big teams such as the Mumbai Indians during the event but on most occasions, they have failed to click as a unit consistently.
After three successive losses, they sprung back to life by beating Delhi and the team's Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene hoped the victory brings some consistency in his side's performance.
