Russell in Focus as LA Knight Riders Eye First Points

LA Knight Riders are under pressure, having lost both matches so far. Their top three, consisting of Andre Fletcher, Alex Hales, and Unmukt Chand, need to step up. However, the middle order, particularly Andre Russell, is under scrutiny. Russell has had a lean run with both bat and ball, conceding 95 runs in 8 overs and lasting just seven deliveries with the bat.

The task won't be easy against the defending champions, Washington Freedom, who staged a comeback in their previous game. The Freedom's disciplined bowling effort and the likes of Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Maxwell's batting will be a challenge for the Knight Riders.

Match Details

• When: June 17, 6 PM local time
• Where: Oakland Coliseum, California
• What to expect: A batting-friendly surface, given the explosive players in both teams' ranks.

Probable Lineups

Washington Freedom

• Mitchell Owen
• Rachin Ravindra
• Andries Gous (wk)
• Glenn Maxwell (c)
• Jack Edwards
• Glenn Phillips
• Obus Pienaar
• Mukhtar Ahmed
• Ian Holland
• Saurabh Netravalkar
• Abhishek Paradkar

LA Knight Riders

• Andre Fletcher
• Alex Hales
• Unmukt Chand (wk)
• Nitish Kumar
• Matthew Tromp
• Andre Russell
• Saif Badar
• Sunil Narine (c)
• Shadley van Schalkwyk
• Ali Khan
• Tanveer Sangha