IPL STROKES
If it is the entertainment that you are looking for then this is the match, which shall fall no short of it. To start with, this game is a must win for Punjab Kings. Currently the fourth place slot is a fight among Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals. Hence the matches between themselves are not going to be anything less than a war. All these teams have to accumulate as many points as possible and at the same time pray that the other teams lose, and beating one of these teams is the best thing that they can do to themselves.
Kolkata have found some great form since the resumption of the league. In the UAE leg, they have won three out of four matches. A campaign, that was going downhill in the first half, has suddenly picked up pace. All their remaining three matches are against the teams from the bottom half. So, they have a very good chance of qualifying for the play-offs. Kolkata are on 10 points from 11 games, and currently on the fourth spot.
Punjab would be ruing the missed opportunity against Mumbai. With the defeat in that game, their chances of qualifying have taken a serious hit. They would need to win all their remaining three matches and hope that there is a tie for the fourth spot. But for that, they need to improve their net run-rate also to go through. Punjab are on 8 points from 11 games and currently are on the sixth spot.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Out of the 28 matches played between them, Kolkata have won 19 matches, while Punjab have won 9 matches. In the previous match this year between them, Kolkata beat Punjab.
The Dubai pitch is proving to be the best of the lot from the batting point of view. However, there is enough to keep the pacers as well as the spinners interested.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Punjab should be looking towards opening the batting with Moises Henriques, along with KL Rahul and with ‘the universe boss’ Chris Gaylecoming in at number 3, would be the ideal set up. If not Aiden Markram would need to open with KL Rahul, which would allow Sarfaraz Khan to come in as a finisher or number 4 as well. Expect Chris Jordan to come in for Nathan Ellis, which would lengthen their batting line-up. Jalaj Saxena is another player, who could be in consideration due to the number of lefty batsman in Kolkata side.
KKR are doing amazingly well in their 4 matches in the UAE leg and hence there would be minimum chance of any changes. The only person in consideration would be Andre Russell, who didn’t play the last game and he brings a lot of stability to the side. The trio of Shubman Gill, Vankatesh Iyer and Rahul Tripathi has consistently fired and Kolkata fans would be counting on them again to fire. While in the bowling department, Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine are yet to be figured out by the masses, both mystery spinners have been spinning a web that has kept the opponents looking for answers.
