Series: Indian Premier League 2023
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, 53rd Match 8th May 7.30 PM IST
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
KKR will be facing PBKS in yet another home game as they look to stay alive in the race to the playoffs. Kolkata Knight Riders have lost their last 3 consecutive matches at the Eden Gardens.
It hasn’t been a good home season for KKR but they’ve won a couple of games recently and will be hoping to carry the momentum to Kolkata. Punjab Kings are facing a big issue in their bowling department.
It is a pretty solid-looking bowling attack with the likes of Arshdeep, Rahul Chahar, and Sam Curran. Nevertheless, Punjab have been very expensive in their recent outings and have failed to put the
opposition under any sort of pressure.
The batting looks promising for both teams. Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh helped rescue KKR in their last game against SRH after early collapse.
In spite of inconsistencies, KKR can be confident of their batting given the amount of talent in this side. Punjab Kings’ Jitesh Sharma is in his best form this season. He will be a key player in the
middle order and can deliver a big finish for PBKS.
Kolkata Knight Riders Preview
This is a crucial game for the Knight Riders as the race to top 4 gets tighter. There are 4 teams tied at 10 points each followed by KKR with 8 points at number 8.
KKR will need to win every game from here on to stay alive in the contest and give themselves a chance to qualify for the playoffs. Nitish Rana will be happy with the bowling performances from his team in the last match.
Given how Punjab have struggled to defend even big totals in recent times, KKR might consider batting second in this match.
Punjab Kings Preview
Punjab Kings is another inconsistent team of this IPL. Their form in the last 5 outings has been L W L W L. Two of their last 3 defeats have come at Mohali where the bowlers failed big time.
First it was against LSG where Punjab ended up conceding the highest total of this year’s IPL. And in their recent home game against MI, some brilliant batting performances from LIvingstone and
Jitesh Sharma helped Punjab post a 214-run total batting first.
In spite of that, they were never on top of the game while defending the total and lost by 6 wickets. Sam Curran and Arshdeep Singh are among the best left-arm seam bowlers who can deliver
breakthroughs for any side whether it be Punjab or their national teams.
Pitch Report
Eden Gardens in Kolkata is the venu for the KKR vs PBKS match. The average 1st innings score on this ground is 164 runs. The square boundaries are shorter and batters would be looking to clear those for sixes.
A match-winning total would be something over 185-190 given the bowlers also deliver a decent performance while defending the total.
key players KKR : Jason Roy, Venkatesh Iyer, Varun Chakaravarthy, Andre Russell
key players PKBS : Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh
Prediction: KKR to win the match
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