Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

IPL 2020 Match 24: KXIP vs KKR Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | KXIP vs KKR Dream11 Prediction Today | Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report

Well, if you thought that Kings XI Punjab looked good on paper before the tournament, you were right. If you think that they are not performing anywhere near the level they should be, then you are also right. KXIP, perennial underachievers in IPL cricket, are underachieving yet again, stuck at the bottom of the IPL 2020 Table and at significant risk of being out of the playoffs race even before the halfway mark of the tournament.

KXIP’s 2020 season is the complete opposite to their last two campaigns. In 2018 and 2019, KXIP had a superb first half of the season, before falling away badly in the second. This season, it has been a poor first half of the campaign, paralysed by poor death bowling and increasing pressure on skipper KL Rahul. Rahul, although the top run-scorer currently in IPL 2020, has called the strike rate an “overrated” stat, which means he doesn’t have enough faith in his middle order to perform. KXIP must get it right today, as time is quickly running out.

Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, are warming up nicely. They currently sit in the top four, and have the opportunity to further consolidate their spot, after their tactics worked a charm in their last win vs Chennai Super Kings. With the likes of Ravi Bishnoi key in the middle overs for KXIP, Dinesh Karthik could look to send in Sunil Narine in the middle again to counter the legspin. Also, eyes will be on Rahul Tripathi, who has enjoyed an excellent start to his tournament, as well as KKR’s death batting against a struggling KXIP unit.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

• Watch out for Andre Russell in this match against KXIP’s struggling death bowling. His 246 runs for KKR vs KXIP come at a magnificent strike rate of 206.72 (avg. 35.14).
• Russell also has 13 wickets for KKR vs KXIP, in eight matches.
• The battle of Mohammed Shami and Sheldon Cottrell vs Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi will be key. Shami (nine wickets in six games) and Cottrell (six wickets in six games) weren’t able to break the Warner-Bairstow combination last game, which was costly.
• Tripathi is coming off a superb 81 (51) vs CSK. Gill was player of the match in his game vs KXIP last season (65* off 49 balls). In fact, Gill has never been dismissed vs KXIP (3 inns, 95 runs).
• Eyes will be on KL Rahul. The Orange Cap holder has a huge role to play if KXIP are to win today. He has three fifties in seven innings vs KKR, and his battle vs Pat Cummins will be key.
• Mayank Agarwal will also be key. Agarwal, one of the underrated players to step up in 2020, has 281 runs in six matches this tournament (avg. 46.81, SR 162.42). Can he bounce back after a run out last game?
• However, Agarwal could drop to number three if Chris Gayle plays. Gayle was all set to play last game vs SRH, but came down with food poisoning. If he plays here, it will be interesting to see how quickly he can hit his stride, as he has a magnificent record vs KKR in IPL (17 matches, 649 runs, avg. 46.36, SR 150.58).
• Eoin Morgan has been in good touch. Before his 7 vs CSK, Morgan struck 42* (29), 34* (23) and 44 (18) in his previous three matches. Like Russell, Morgan could be mighty dangerous against KXIP’s poor death bowling.
• Nicholas Pooran is in superb touch. The dynamic left-hander played a magnificent lone hand vs CSK, hitting the season’s fastest fifty. His last four scores: 25* (8), 44 (27), 33 (17) and 77 (37).
• Sunil Narine bowled beautifully vs CSK, and can be backed to play well again here. He has the most wickets in KKR-KXIP matches (26 in just 17 matches), along with a batting strike rate of 178.26 (164 runs).
• Ravi Bishnoi (seven wickets in six games) vs Varun Chakravarthy (five wickets in four games) promises to be an intriguing battle. The two spinners have performed well so far in IPL 2020, and will be key for their respective teams.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 25, KXIP 8, KKR 17.
• KKR have won 13 of their past 15 matches against KXIP, including their last three.
• Andre Russell has hit 84 runs in 31 balls vs Mohammed Shami in T20 cricket (one dismissal).
• If Gayle plays, KKR could look to open the bowling with Narine. In 177 balls vs Gayle in T20s, Narine has conceded just 153 runs, with five dismissals. However, KL Rahul strikes at 233 vs Narine.
• Dinesh Karthik strikes at 188.52 in four matches for KKR vs KXIP (115 runs, avg. 57.50).
• KXIP have the worst economy rate at the death of any team in IPL 2020 (13.44).

Possible Playing 11

Where do KXIP turn to now? Skipper KL Rahul said that Ishan Porel has been bowling well in the nets, and could get a look in at some stage. Could it be now? However, Arshdeep Singh held his own against SRH at the death, finishing with 2/33.

Also, if Chris Gayle is fit, he is set to come in for Glenn Maxwell, who has not had a good tournament (48 runs in six innings at an average of 12 and strike rate of 85.71).

Kings XI Punjab: 1. KL Rahul (c), 2. Chris Gayle, 3. Mayank Agarwal, 4. Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 5. Nicholas Pooran, 6. Mandeep Singh, 7. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 8. Ravi Bishnoi, 9. Mohammed Shami, 10. Sheldon Cottrell, 11. Arshdeep Singh

KKR look a lot more settled, and could look to go in with the same winning combination.

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1. Rahul Tripathi, 2. Shubman Gill, 3. Nitish Rana, 4. Eoin Morgan, 5. Andre Russell, 6. Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), 7. Sunil Narine, 8. Pat Cummins, 9. Kamlesh Nagarkoti, 10. Shivam Mavi, 11. Varun Chakravarthy

Abu Dhabi Pitch and Weather Report

The heat will be on Kings XI, both literally and figuratively. This day game will test the players, as temperatures are expected to reach around the 40 degree mark out in the middle.

Batting first should be the tactic here. In 23 matches in IPL 2020, the team batting first has gone on to win 18 of them. At Abu Dhabi, teams batting first have won five of eight matches, with the overall average first innings score being 170.75. However, in the four games that Mumbai Indians haven’t been involved, this figure drops down to 156.25, indicating this surface is a little slower.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

Option 2:

Match Prediction

Kings XI Punjab are in serious trouble. They need to win this game to keep their playoffs hopes alive. However, too many of their players are out of touch, and KKR’s big-hitting middle order is a huge threat. KKR to win.

Thanks for reading!