Whoever wins the contest between the Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders will have a chance to get to the top of the points table. When the battle for the No. 1 spot on the points table is at stake, expect nothing short of a thriller from the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
KKR and KXIP both have three wins alongside their names and although the KKR have played a match extra KKR are at the second place because of a superior net run rate. Both the teams will have a lot going on their minds before the start of the match since they have had a few issues as well as some positives from their recent outings in IPL.
Interestingly, both the skippers are captaining a side for the first time in IPL and it would be interesting to see which of them marshals his resources better on the field.
Chris Gayle has set the expectations high- with his 2 man of the match performances and whenever he is on the field, everyone will want to see every ball he plays and hope that he continues to entertain the fans and audience. Gayle, given in the form that he is in, can be a huge impact player in today’s match. KL Rahul after a hint of struggle in the previous game can come back strongly against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
From the Kolkata Knight Riders, Robin Uthappa would be desperate to convert his good looking starts into big scores and help KKR build challenging totals and chase them down when needed. Nitish Rana has done a commendable job for them and if Chris Lynn fires at the top, KKR would have more boxes ticked than otherwise, given Andre Rusell’s form lower down the order.
The tournament has been brilliant for the spinners and even though the Kolkata wicket is not as spin friendly as some of the others, they could play a huge role in the match, especially the way they are used would be crucial in the match. Sunil Narine and R Ashwin, the frontline spinners will be on limelight but equally important have been the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Chawla and the Afghani sensation Mujeeb Ur Rehman.
The Punjab challenge can be a tough one to pass through for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Broadcast starts at 16:00 Hours (IST).
