Can Punjab Kings bounce back against in-form KKR?
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), currently sitting comfortably in second place, take on the ninth-placed Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a battle between two teams on opposite ends of the IPL 2024 spectrum. The match will be played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, a venue known for its high-scoring pitches.
KKR boasting strong bowling attack
While the batters dominate the headlines in IPL 2024, surprisingly, Punjab Kings possess the league’s best bowling attack. They are the only team yet to concede 200 runs in an innings, boasting an impressive bowling average of 24.94. Their death bowling has been particularly lethal, with the most wickets taken (23) and the best economy rate (15.73) in the final overs.
But Punjab’s batting struggles a concern
However, Punjab Kings’ strength lies in stark contrast to their batting lineup, which is the second-slowest and has the second-lowest average in the tournament. No batter has crossed the 200-run mark yet, with Shashank Singh leading the way with 195 runs.
KKR favorites at home ground
KKR, on the other hand, have been a well-rounded unit, difficult to score against and bowl to. They will be clear favorites at Eden Gardens, a ground where scores in excess of 200 have been recorded in both innings of three out of the four matches played so far.
Probable Playing 11
- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): Phil Salt, Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Rinku Singh/Vaibhav Arora/Varun Chakravarthy/Suyash Sharma, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakravarthy/Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma/Vaibhav Arora
- Punjab Kings (PBKS): Prabhsimran Singh, Rilee Rossouw/Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran (capt), Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Singh
Key Players in Spotlight
- Mitchell Starc (KKR): Needs to bounce back from his expensive start in IPL 2024, especially considering Eden Gardens’ traditionally high economy rate for fast bowlers under lights.
- Harshal Patel (PBKS): Has found good form in recent matches, taking wickets at crucial moments in the death overs. His pace variations and angles could be a threat to KKR’s right-handed batsmen.
Pitch and conditions
Expect a high-scoring pitch in Kolkata, similar to the ones seen earlier in the season. Spinners have been slightly more economical than fast bowlers at this ground, but both KKR’s Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy have been impressive.
Interesting stats
- Sunil Narine has the most wickets (33) against Punjab Kings in the IPL.
- Shreyas Iyer has never been dismissed by Kagiso Rabada in the IPL, while Andre Russell has a healthy strike rate of 221.4 against Sam Curran in T20 cricket.