Champions League 2014 Match 18 prediction: Kolkata (55%) expected to defeat Dolphins (45%)

By Shashi Mittal On September 28, 2014

Prediction methodology

Prediction: Kolkata (55%) predicted to defeat Dolphins (45%) (Match scorecard)

Team form

Kolkata Knight Riders: The Knight Riders have won all of their three matches in this tournament so far, defeating the Chennai Super Kings, Lahore Lions, and Perth Scorchers on the way.
Dolphins: The Dolphins haven't had a good tournament. They have lost all three matches they have played. Their best chance of winning was in the first match, where they were winning against Perth Scorchers till the penultimate ball of the match. They didn't come anywhere close to winning against Chennai Super Kings and Lahore Lions.

The big picture

The Kolkata Knight Riders are already through to the semi-final round, and they are guaranteed to finish at the top of the table even if they lost this match against Dolphins. So they might want to test their bench strength in this match instead of fielding their top eleven. For the Dolphins, winning this match will salvage some pride for them, otherwise they are most likely to finish at the bottom of the table in their group irrespective of the outcome of the match.

Venue

Hyderabad is a venue that has traditionally favored teams who are chasing. However, this year it has been fairly extreme, and in none of the eight T20 matches played on the ground this year has a team been able to defend a total successfully. And that includes the four matches from the Champions League that have been played here this year. Hobart Hurricanes were easily able to chase down 184 on this pitch last week, so no total is safe here.

Prediction

The Kolkata Knight Riders are the clear favorites to win this match, but it may not be a runaway victory for them, especially if they decide to give their bench a chance in this match. The Dolphins batting packs a lot of punch, so Kolkata bowlers will have to watch out for that. We predict that the match will remain alive till at least the 15th over of the second innings, and in the end Kolkata will emerge as the winning team.