IPL 2023: Rana-led KKR set to host PBKS
Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings will lock horns in the 53rd match of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The Knight Riders are coming off a win against Sunrisers Hyderabad, while PBKS secured two wins and as many defeats of late. Both sides would want to claim wins in order to move up. Here is the preview.
Pitch report, timing, and broadcast details
Kolkata's Eden Gardens, which is renowned for its batting-friendly surface, will host this duel on May 8. One could see a high-scoring game. Spinners will come into the match once the surface wears down. Overall, a competitive battle between bat and ball is expected. Star Sports Network will telecast the match, while fans can also live-stream it on JioCinema from 3:30pm IST onward.
A look at the head-to-head record
The Knights have enjoyed playing against PBKS, having defeated them 20 times in 31 IPL meetings. The remaining 11 games went in Punjab Kings's favor. Notably, the two sides met just once last season and KKR recorded a six-wicket victory in that contest. In the season's first fixture between the two sides, PBKS successfully defended 191/5 and won by seven runs (DLS).
Both PBKS and KKR have had mixed campaigns
KKR have had a mixed season as of now. The Nitish Rana-led side beat SRH after losing to Gujarat Titans. The Knight Riders successfully defended 171/9 in Hyderabad even though the Orange Army were cruising at 124/4. Similarly, PBKS have struggled to win consecutive matches. They beat Chennai Super Kings before losing to Mumbai Indians by six wickets.
What can be the Playing XIs?
KKR (Probable XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Jason Roy, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana (captain), Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy. PBKS (Probable XI): Prabhsimran Singh, Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Matthew Short, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper), Sam Curran, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Rishi Dhawan, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh.
Who are the key performers?
As of now, Rinku and Venkatesh are the only two KKR batters with over 300 runs in IPL 2023. Nitish follows Venkatesh with 275 runs. Dhawan is the leading run-scorer for PBKS this season, with 292 runs. Mystery spinner Chakravarthy remains the only KKR to have taken over 10 wickets in the ongoing season. Arshdeep leads the tally for PBKS, with 16 wickets.
A look at the Dream11 options
Fantasy XI (Option 1): Jitesh Sharma, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana, Shikhar Dhawan, Jason Roy (captain), Sam Curran (vice-captain), Andre Russell, Liam Livingstone, Varun Chakravarthy, and Arshdeep Singh. Fantasy XI (Option 2): Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Jason Roy, Sam Curran, Andre Russell, Liam Livingstone (vice-captain), Varun Chakravarthy, and Arshdeep Singh.
