IPL 2021, KKR vs PBKS: KL Rahul elects to field
Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings are facing each other in the 45th match of IPL 2021 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. PBKS could enter the top four with a win. However, they will have to improve their Net Run Rate. Meanwhile, KKR will aim to maintain their winning run. KL Rahul has won the toss and decided to field.
Here is the head-to-head record
The Knight Riders have fared better than Punjab in the IPL head-to-head meetings. In 28 matches, Kolkata have managed to win 19 with a win percentage of 67.86. On the other hand, Punjab have earned nine victories against KKR with a win percentage of 32.14.
Pitch report and TV listing
The match is being held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Although the surface has been lucrative for the batters, it can be two-paced. As per the recent trend, the batters find more success here than on the rest of the two venues. One can watch the match live on the Star Sports Network and stream the same on the Hotstar app (paid subscription).
Recap: What happened in the last encounter?
KKR claimed a one-sided victory in the last match between the two sides. They restricted Punjab to 123/9 in 20 overs. Prasidh Krishna stood out for KKR, having taken three wickets. In a turn of events, KKR were reduced to 17/3 in the run-chase. However, top-order batter Rahul Tripathi (41) and skipper Morgan (47*) guided KKR to victory in 16.4 overs.
Here are the two teams
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (captain), Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Tim Seifert, Sunil Narine, Shivam Mavi, Tim Southee, Varun Chakaravarthy Punjab Kings (Playing XI): KL Rahul (captain and wicket-keeper), Mayank Agarwal, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Shahrukh Khan, Deepak Hooda, Fabian Allen, Nathan Ellis, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh
Tim Seifert makes his debut for KKR
NZ batter Tim Seifert makes his debut for KKR. He has replaced Lockie Ferguson, who is unfit. Meanwhile, Shivam Mavi has been drafted in place of Sandeep Warrier. The injured Andre Russell continues to warm the bench. Punjab have included Fabian Allen in place of Chris Gayle, who has left the bio-bubble. Mayank Agarwal and Shahrukh Khan replace Mandeep Singh and Harpreet Brar respectively.
