KKR vs PBKS: Today’s match is between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS), taking place at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, starting at 7:30pm IST (2pm GMT).
Overview:
PBKS, despite being at the bottom of the points table, have showcased excellent bowling performances this IPL season. They’ve been the only team not to concede 200 or more runs in an inning yet. Their bowlers have been particularly impressive in the death overs, where they’ve taken the most wickets and maintained the best average. However, their batting has struggled, being one of the slowest-scoring teams with the second-lowest batting average.
KKR, on the other hand, have been a well-rounded team, excelling in both batting and bowling. They’ve been consistent in their performance and are currently placed second in the standings.
Form Guide:
KKR has won three out of their last five matches, while PBKS has won only one out of their last five.
Match Information: KKR vs PBKS Match No. 42 – Fastest Live Score
Team News:
KKR has been flexible with their lineup, often substituting a batter for a fast bowler or spinner depending on the conditions. PBKS might see some changes due to injuries, with Shikhar Dhawan likely to miss out.
Key Players:
Mitchell Starc, KKR’s fast bowler, has struggled with his economy rate but will be crucial in swinging the ball at Eden Gardens. Harshal Patel from PBKS has been in good form lately, especially in the death overs.
Pitch and Conditions:
Eden Gardens has been favorable for high-scoring matches, especially for KKR’s openers. Spinners like Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy have found success here.
Stats to Note:
- Narine has been particularly effective against PBKS, with 33 wickets against them in the IPL.
- Shreyas Iyer has had some success against Kagiso Rabada but has never been dismissed by him.
- Andre Russell and Sam Curran have had an interesting rivalry, with both players having their moments in T20 matches.
Both Teams:
Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (c), KS Bharat, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Chetan Sakariya, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, Sakib Hussain and Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Harshal Patel, Chris Woakes, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajan, Prince Choudhary, Rilee Rossouw.