Last Updated on 1 year by Charbel Coorey

KKR vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Possible 11 Pitch Report IPL 2023 Match 53 | KOL vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Today | Eden Gardens Pitch Report

What on earth does this tournament have left in store? The race to the playoffs is so intense that every match from here on is a playoff in itself, given that just three points separate third and tenth. It is a remarkable table, where every result changes things so drastically.

So, consecutive wins for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will take them from eighth currently to fourth. A win for Punjab Kings (PBKS) will move them from seventh to third. The stakes are high, and it is about mental strength in the pressure moments. PBKS have been decent in these moments, while KKR know how to pull off improbable wins, with their latest being a remarkable five-run win over Hyderabad.

Every moment matters now. Each opportunity needs to be taken. Plans need to be clear, and more importantly, they need to be executed. This has the makings of an exciting clash, and it can genuinely go either way.

Match Details

• Location: Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
• Time: 7:30pm (IST).
• For more cricket fixtures around the world, visit Fixture Calendar.

IPL 2023 Match 53: KKR vs PBKS Possible Playing XIIs

Anukul Roy or Suyash Sharma could be a decision KKR need to make.

Kolkata Knight Riders (possible impact player substitute in bold italic): 1. Jason Roy (OS), 2. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) (OS), 3. Venkatesh Iyer, 4. Nitish Rana, 5. Rinku Singh, 6. Andre Russell (OS), 7. Shardul Thakur, 8. Sunil Narine (OS), 9. Harshit Rana, 10. Vaibhav Arora, 11. Varun Chakravarthy, 12. Suyash Sharma/Anukul Roy

Nathan Ellis or Kagiso Rabada? That is the question for PBKS.

Punjab Kings (possible impact player substitute in bold italic): 1. Shikhar Dhawan, 2. Prabhsimran Singh, 3. Matthew Short/Sikandar Raza (OS), 4. Liam Livingstone (OS), 5. Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6. Sam Curran (OS), 7. M Shahrukh Khan, 8. Rishi Dhawan, 9. Harpreet Brar, 10. Rahul Chahar, 11. Arshdeep Singh, 12. Nathan Ellis/Kagiso Rabada (OS)

IPL 2023 53rd match: KKR vs PBKS fantasy picks: key players to watch/key stats

Kolkata Knight Riders:

• Jason Roy has struck two fifties in four matches this season at a strike rate of 159.29. His battle with Arshdeep Singh (six balls in T20s, no runs) could be interesting.
• Andre Russell has not really fired with the bat this season, but today could be the day. He has smashed 366 runs in 11 innings against Punjab at a strike rate of 202.21.
• Russell has scores 60 off 27 balls against Kagiso Rabada in the IPL (one dismissal).
• Rinku Singh is KKR’s top run-scorer this season. The left-hander has struck 316 runs at an average of 52.66 and strike rate of 148.35.
• Cometh the hour, cometh Sunil Narine? The legendary spinner has taken just one wicket in the last seven games, but he has the most scalps in KKR-PBKS matches (33) at an average of 19.03 and economy of 7.06.
• Varun Chakravarthy is bowling beautifully. He can test the PBKS middle order, even at the death. He is KKR’s top wicket-taker this season with 14.
• Chakravarthy has a great record against Shikhar Dhawan. He has dismissed the PBKS captain three times in 40 balls in the IPL (42 runs).

Punjab Kings:

• Shikhar Dhawan has scored 850 runs against KKR at an average of 29.31 and strike rate of 118.06.
• Dhawan has made a number of starts against KKR since the start of 2021. The left-hander has struck 46, 24, 36, 16 and 40, but his strike rate has hovered around just 100.
• Prabhsimran Singh is a player who can impact the game. He hit an impressive 23 off 12 balls against KKR earlier this season before he was caught unluckily down the legside.
• Liam Livingstone has hit the go button. He is coming off a superb 82* (42) against MI. Both Arshdeep Singh (five balls) and Kagiso Rabada (four balls) have dismissed him once, so it promises to be excellent battles.
• Sam Curran has made scores of 55, 21 and 29 in his past three knocks. He has dismissed Andre Russell twice in 15 balls in T20s (30 runs).
• PBKS could look to have Kagiso Rabada send short balls down to the likes of Andre Russell. Also, the Proteas seamer has dismissed Venkatesh Iyer once in 11 balls (14 runs) and Jason Roy three times in 61 balls (82 runs) in T20s.
• Arshdeep Singh has taken eight wickets in seven matches against KKR at an average of 22.13 and economy of 8.56. He will be seeking to bounce back after a tough outing against MI.

Other Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 31, KKR 20, PBKS 11.
• KKR’s average for the opening stand is just 20. PBKS is 20.1. These are the two worst in the league.
• KKR have taken the most wickets among spinners in IPL 2023 (35). PBKS have the least (12).
• Nitish Rana has scored just 134 runs in nine innings against PBKS since the start of 2018 (avg. 14.89).
• Venkatesh Iyer looked uncomfortable against the short ball in the last match. Expect the PBKS seamers to test him.

Eden Gardens Kolkata Pitch Report and Weather

A hot and clear night is forecast in Kolkata. According to Cricbuzz, pitch #4 will be used for this match and it could be drier given that is hasn’t been watered as much due to unreliable weather in recent times. Also, the curator said that hasn’t been too much dew in the last few nights. So, the spinners could have a fair say in this clash.

The average first innings score in four matches is 211.5. The team batting first has won three of them, so there may be the temptation to bat first.

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IPL 2023 Match 53: KKR vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Today Match 8 May 2023

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

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IPL 2023 Match 53: KKR vs PBKS Match Prediction – Who will win?

A game that can go either way. If the team bowling first can restrict the total to less than 180, they should go on and win.

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