In the 53rd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata tonight i.e. Monday, May 8 at 7:30 PM IST.
The two-time IPL champions are once again in fantastic shape as nearly all facets are performing well. KKR are in seventh place with eight points after four victories in ten games. Even though KKR have lost three of their last four games played at Eden Gardens, they should back themselves to come out strong in this one. Speaking about their expertise, the opening duo appears strong, despite Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s disappointing performance in the most recent match. The form of middle-order batters which includes Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh and Andre Russell is also on the rise. However, Venkatesh Iyer needs to be more prudent with his wicket and understand that it shouldn’t be thrown away carelessly. Sunil Narine needs to deliver on the trust that the management has in him. Rest bowling looks good with Varun Chakaravarthy leading the pack.
Punjab Kings, on the other hand, are putting on a remarkable batting display at present, scoring more than 200 runs in each of their previous four contests. This clearly demonstrates how admirably the batting unit now stands, and the situation won’t change on the designated number four pitch at the Edens. With players like Arshdeep Singh and Nathan Ellis appearing to be in great shape, the bowling attack, which has disappointed supporters, must perform. Here, spinners will also be important, so expect to see more of Rahul Chahar and Sikandar Raza handling the ball. With four games left in the competition, PBKS must win every game to be in the playoff hunt.
Head-to-head:
The head-to-head matchup between the two teams favours KKR. In the 31 times the two franchises have faced off, Kolkata won 20 games while Punjab has won 11. However, in their last outing, which took place earlier this season, PBKS won by seven runs (DL method)
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