Rajasthan vs Kolkata: it's hit back time

Ahmedabad: Shane warne and Sourav Ganguly are charismatic leaders. They are fighters. And during their playing days they were not the best of friends. That should definitely set the tone for Saturday's game at the Sardar Patel Stadium as Rajasthan take on Kolkata hoping that they can finally register their first win in this edition.

Kolkata too would like to bounce back after a home loss to Chennai in the previous game on Tuesday. And in the back of their minds they will give themselves a bigger chance against an already insipid and defeated Rajasthan, who on Thursday crashed to their third straight loss and now lie at the bottom of the table.

Rajasthan will have to come up with something special if they have to arrest the slide. Since losing Graeme Smith and Dmitri Mascarenhas, the first edition champions have looked to Damien Martyn and Michael Lumb to do the job. Unfortunately for them, both have failed. Their third international player in the lineup, pacer Shaun Tait has also been in woeful form and leaked too many runs.

Yusuf Pathan raised expectations after his blitzkrieg hundred against Mumbai in the opening game, but since then has plummet ted to the rock bottom. Other batsmen like Naman Ojha and Swapnil Asnodkar have also failed to impress and the campaign has already started to look all but over for Warne's boys.

Kolkata, on the other hand, started the tournament on a high winning two games on the trot. They were then handed quite a drubbing by Chennai and will seek to make that an aberration. But for that they will also have to ensure that they bowl well in the death overs. Their bowlers were guilty of giving away far too many runs away in the last five overs to Chennai and that ultimately cost them the match.

Kolkata, however, will be strengthened by the return of Chris Gayle to the ranks. His return gives Kolkata a solidity in the opening slot. And if Shane Bond can get his rhtyhm in early, Warne's boys will be tested to the hilt.