Hyderabad: There is a spring in Kolkata Knight Riders’ steps as they take on Deccan Chargers at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday. The victory against Bangalore Royal Challengers has done its bit to lift the morale of the team after four successive losses.

Sourav Ganguly knows well that a win against the hosts will keep them in contention for a semi-final berth. They are currently placed fifth with six points from seven games.

V.V.S. Laxman-led Deccan Chargers are languishing at the seventh spot in the eight-team League with four points from eight matches. They are in a must-win situation and will have to reverse their losing streak.

The Hyderabad side can breathe easy as Knight Riders are unlikely to field Shoaib Akhtar here too. The fast bowler’s fitness is yet to satisfy coach John Buchanan who had a close look at him during the afternoon practice here.

“Considering his match fitness, Shoaib’s availability appears unlikely,” Buchanan said before leaving Calcutta.

The only change that seems certain is Salman Butt replacing Brad Hodge. Cricket Australia has asked the allrounder to join the national squad as a shadow replacement for Michael Clarke in the West Indies. The Pakistani will open the innings with Aakash Chopra.

The biggest gain for the visitors has been captain Sourav Ganguly’s bowling in their last match. Sourav produced one of the most economical performances in Twenty20 cricket to show the way at the Eden. His batting form, though, hasn’t been consistent in the tournament.

Talking of consistency and performance, David Hussey has been most impressive so far. The Australian has proved as to why he is regarded highly as a Twenty20 specialist back home.

The Deccan Chargers’ main worry has been that some big batting stars in the team including Herschelle Gibbs and Shahid Afridi are yet to make their presence felt in the tournament though the Pakistani has taken seven wickets in six matches.

In the bowling department, except for Rudra Pratap Singh and city lad Pragyan Ojha, others have been pedestrian at best.

The wicket here has traditionally favoured the batsmen and the bowlers will find the conditions tough. The soaring temperature would be a cause for concern for the players, especially the bowlers, as the match is scheduled to start at 4pm with the mercury levels in the city hovering around 40 degrees Celsius for the last few days.

TEAMS

Kolkata Knight Riders (likely): Aakash Chopra, Salman Butt, Sourav Ganguly (captain), David Hussey, Tatenda Taibu, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Murali Kartik, Wriddhiman Saha, Umar Gul, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda.

Deccan Chargers (from): VVS Laxman (captain), Sanjay Bangar, Haldhar Das, Herschelle Gibbs, Scott Styris, Adam Gilchrist, Pragyan Ojha, D Ravi Teja, Shahid Afridi, Rohit Sharma, RP Singh, Chamara Silva, Chaminda Vaas, Y. Venugopal Rao, P. Vijay Kumar, Arjun Yadav, Nuwan Zoysa.

Match starts: 4 pm.