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Tomorrow’s IPL Match: KKR vs PBKS Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will clash with Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on April 26.
With five wins out of seven matches, DC currently holds the second spot on the points table. They have secured victories in two out of their last five matches.
Pre-match Insights:
Kolkata Knight Riders have been one of the top-performing teams in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) so far. The two-time champions have secured victories in five out of their seven matches this season. In their forthcoming matchup with Punjab Kings on Friday, April 26, KKR will try to continue to dominate. The game between KKR and PBKS in IPL 2024 will take place at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Considering the current form of the Punjab-based franchise, led by Shreyas Iyer, they will enter the match as favorites. KKR is gaining momentum after defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore in a thrilling encounter. It was a high-scoring affair where KKR set a target of 223 runs with their batting prowess. RCB’s batting unit also put up a good fight but fell short of the required score by just one run.
Meanwhile, PBKS has been struggling with four consecutive losses. In their last match against Gujarat Titans, PBKS faced a batting collapse and managed to reach only 146 runs. GT comfortably chased the target with three wickets to spare in the 19th over.
Head-to-head Records between KKR and PBKS:
Punjab and Kolkata have already faced off in 32 IPL games. Kolkata Knight Riders, led by Shah Rukh Khan, have won 21 matches, while Preity Zinta’s Punjab Kings have won 11. The highest score by KKR against PBKS is 245, while Punjab’s highest score against KKR is 214.
Team News and Player Strategy:
Kolkata Knight Riders: KKR has deployed a fast bowler or a spinner based on the conditions and situation in each game. Rinku Singh has not been utilized in the batting lineup so far, with either Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, or Suyash Prabhudessai brought in. It is expected that they will continue with this strategy.
Punjab Kings: According to spin-bowling coach Sunil Joshi, Shikhar Dhawan will be fit for the next game for PBKS. This raises questions about whether Sam Curran will open again or if one of Riley Meredith and Prabhsimran Singh will partner with Mayank Agarwal in Dhawan’s absence.
KKR vs PBKS Dream11 Team:
Wicketkeeper: Phil Salt, Prabhsimran Singh
Batsmen: Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, Ankur Raghuvanshi
All-around players: Vice-Captain Sam Curran, Andre Russell, Liam Livingstone, and Captain Sunil Narine
Bowlers: Varun Chakravarthy, Kagiso Rabada
KKR vs PBKS Predicted XI:
KKR Probable XI: Phil Salt (WK), Sunil Narine, Ankur Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer (C), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mishel Stark/Dushmantha Chameera, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma. [Impact Player: Venkatesh Iyer]
PBKS Probable XI: Shikhar Dhawan (C), Jonny Bairstow/Riley Meredith, Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Liam Livingstone, Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Harshal Patel. [Impact Player: Arshdeep Singh]
Key Stats to Consider:
Against PBKS, Narine has taken 33 wickets in the IPL, the most against any opponent. His average against them is 19.90, with an economy of 7.06.
In IPL, Shreyas Iyer has scored 12 runs off Kagiso Rabada in five deliveries, but in all T20s, it’s 19 runs off 21 balls. However, Rabada has never dismissed Iyer.
The battle between Russell and Curran is intriguing. Russell has a score of 221.4 against Curran for dismissing three players in 28 balls in all T20s. Curran has reciprocated with 39 runs off 21 balls against Russell for dismissing him once in T20s.
Pitch Report for KKR vs PBKS:
The pitch at Eden Gardens favors batting as it is flat. Some bounce is also observed consistently. Initially, the fast bowlers might get some assistance from the bounce. As the game progresses, spinners may become more effective due to turn and bounce on the pitch.
Weather Report for KKR vs PBKS:
On April 26, there is no probability of rain in Kolkata, according to Accuweather.com. The temperature is expected to remain around 36 degrees Celsius at the start of the match. Humidity is also likely to be around 80%, which means dew could be a significant factor in the latter part of the match.
Prediction for KKR vs PBKS:
According to Google, there is a 59% chance of Kolkata defeating Punjab in their eighth match.
We also believe that KKR will emerge victorious against Punjab. Shreyas Iyer’s boys are in good form, while Punjab is struggling in the absence of Shikhar Dhawan’s leadership.
KKR vs PBKS Squads:
Punjab Kings Team: Sam Curran (Captain), Prabhsimran Singh, Riley Meredith, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Liam Livingstone, Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Singh Brar, Harpreet Bhatia, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar, Vidath Kavappa, Atharva Taide, Shivam Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Johnny Bairstow, Nathan Ellis, Tanay Tyagarajan, Shikhar Dhawan, Chris Woakes, Sikandar Raza, Prince Chaudhary, Vishwanath Singh.
Kolkata Knight Riders Team: Phil Salt (WK), Sunil Narine, Ankur Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mishel Stark, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Rahamanullah Gurbaz, Allah Gaznavi, Shakib Al Hasan, Sherfane Rutherford, Chetan Sakariya, Nitish Rana, Shrikar Bharat, Dushmantha Chameera.