Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
A vital, high stakes battle on the edge of the top four. We are reaching the business end of IPL 2018, where room for error is shrinking with each delivery, and I can’t wait to see what this game holds for us.
Kings XI Punjab and their fans would have been disappointed with their last two outings against RR, with only KL Rahul showing any sort of resistance with the bat. The he made an unbeaten 95 and the remaining six batsmen just 41 in a failed chase of 158 highlights that they are far from the completed package. Their middle order is concerning, but there is no doubt that if they can get that part of their game right, they are a big threat to any team.
Kolkata Knight Riders might still be reeling from their 102-run loss at home to the now fourth-placed MI. Things were looking quite rosy for KKR in the early stages of the tournament, but they have fallen away a tad, and with their NRR taking a real hit, this is a game they simply cannot afford to lose. Everything went wrong for them three nights ago. Today, they need to execute everything brilliantly.
Key to a Kings XI Punjab win
Chris Gayle and KL Rahul have a big opportunity to fire today, against a KKR side that boasts the worst economy rate among pace bowlers (10.46) and second worst in the powerplay overs (9.20).
However, the middle order has been KXIP’s main concern in this tournament. If the openers don’t fire, then there are significant question marks on the middle order’s ability to get them to a good total, or see them home in a chase. Even if the openers do fire, can the middle order finish things off?
KXIP have lost three of their last four, and a lot can be put down to their middle and end overs run rate. In the powerplay, they boast the second best run rate. In the middle and end overs? Second worst. This has to be rectified to arrest their slide.
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| KL Rahul has been KXIP’s shining light in recent matches |
Key to a Kolkata Knight Riders win
Can KKR find a way to dismiss KL Rahul and Chris Gayle cheaply?
In KXIP’s last two games, KL Rahul has hit 179 runs in two innings, both unbeaten. The remaining 13 batsmen across the two matches mustered just 107 between them, so a big opportunity presents KKR to get into the unsure KXIP middle order.
Also, KXIP’s powerplay run rate in their last five games has been just 7 per over. In their first five matches, it was 10.7. As a result, KXIP have won just two of their last five. If KKR can have a superb start with the ball, it will set up the game for them, especially considering they have the best powerplay run rate of any team (8.88).
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| Can Narine deliver for KKR against KXIP’s openers? |
Possible teams
It remains to be seen whether KXIP stick with the middle that flopped badly against RR. It’s not as though they have great form on the bench either, with Yuvraj struggling in IPL 2018. They could stick with the same XI to give them another chance.
Kings XI Punjab XI: 1. KL Rahul (wk), 2. Chris Gayle, 3. Karun Nair, 4. Akshdeep Nath, 5. Manoj Tiwary/Yuvraj Singh, 6. Marcus Stoinis, 7. Axar Patel, 8. Ravichandran Ashwin (c), 9. AJ Tye, 10. Mohit Sharma, 11. Mujeeb Ur Rahman
KKR need a complete reversal of their performance against MI. Their top order needs to fire, and their bowling attack needs to restrict KXIP’s.
Kolkata Knight Riders XI: 1. Sunil Narine, 2. Chris Lynn, 3. Robin Uthappa, 4. Nitish Rana, 5. Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), 6. Andre Russell, 7. Shubman Gill, 8. Tom Curran, 9. Piyush Chawla, 10. Kuldeep Yadav, 11. Shivam Mavi
Stats and Facts:
- Head-to-Head: Matches 22, KXIP 8, KKR 14
- All seven matches at Indore have been won by the team chasing. This season, totals of 175 and 153 have been chased pretty comfortably.
- Chris Gayle v KKR: 14 innings, 594 runs, Avg 54.00, SR 153.49, four MoM awards. However, Sunil Narine could stop him. In 119 deliveries in T20 cricket, Narine has dimissed Gayle five times, conceding just 94 runs (SR 78.99)
- KXIP have won the last two meetings between the two teams.
- KKR have taken just nine powerplay wickets this season, the lowest of all teams. That has to change, otherwise Chris Gayle and KL Rahul could take the game away from them.
Prediction
Both sides need to arrest some poor form at the moment in a high stakes clash. At Indore, I will go with KXIP to get the win on the back of Gayle and Rahul, and go one step closer to sealing a playoffs spot.
