With eight points in the kitty and just four games to go, Kolkata Knight Riders would be under pressure to deliver as they take on in-form Lucknow Super Giants in a crucial league game at the MCA Stadium here on Saturday. After a good start to their campaign, KKR lost five games on the trot, and find themselves in the eighth spot on the points table going into Saturday’s game. They ended their losing streak by beating Rajasthan Royals in their last game, but the KKR boys know there is still plenty of work to be done.

Five opening combinations

And it begins with the opening partnership. Throughout the season, KKR have struggled to get a rocking opening partnership, and it has hurt them in the final outcome. The Shreyas Iyer-led outfit has tried as many as five opening combinations in the 10 games so far. It started reasonably well for KKR, with the designate opening pair of Ajinkya Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer adding 43 runs for the first wicket in their season opener against the Chennai Super Kings. But that was followed by partnerships of 14, 14, 16 and 21, before the team think-tank lost patience. The team management has since then tried Aaron Finch-Sunil Narine, Sam Billings-Sunil Narine, Aaron Finch-Venkatesh Iyer and Baba Indrajith-Aaron Finch as the opening combo.