Kolkata may get the much-needed fillip if regular skipper Gautam Gambhir returns from injury, the chances of which are 50:50 at this early stage of the tournament.

Led by South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis in Gambhir's absence, the big guns in the batting lineup - Yusuf Pathan and Kallis himself - failed to leave a mark in the two qualifying matches. But Ryan ten Doeschate and Manvinder Bisla showed some spark, which eventually helped KKR qualify.

Aussie pacer Brett Lee will spearhead an otherwise spin-heavy attack, which relies heavily on Iqbal Abdulla and part-time tweakers Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan.

Somerset, on the other hand, have a 100 per cent record in the competition so far having got the better of Auckland and Kolkata in the two qualifying matches they played.

They have played as a team and crafted their way into the main tournament with performances which improved with each match.

Batsman Peter Trego has looked the best bet to set or chase totals for Somerset, alongside South African all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe.

Besides skipper Alfonso Thomas, Somerset will look up to Indian left-armer Murali Kartik to take wickets. Kartik's experience on the Indian tracks can help restrict runs as well as take important scalps.

And with assistance from spinner Arul Suppiah and medium-pacer Trego, Thomas will expect another brilliant performance for his boys to keep the winning momentum going. However, KKR will hope for an all-round show to end Somerset's winning run.

Squads:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Jacques Kallis (c), Iqbal Abdulla, Shakib Al Hasan, L Balaji, Rajat Bhatia, Manvinder Bisla, Gautam Gambhir, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, Eoin Morgan, Yusuf Pathan, Shami Ahmed, Ryan ten Doeschate, Manoj Tiwary, Jaidev Unadkat.

Somerset: Alfonso Thomas (c), Alex Barrow, Nick Compton, Adam Dibble, George Dockrell, James Hildreth, Chris Jones, Murali Kartik, Steve Kirby, Craig Meschede, Steve Snell, Arul Suppiah, Peter Trego, Roelof van der Merwe, Gemaal Hussain.

(With agency inputs)