Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will host the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 42nd game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The KKR vs PBKS encounter will take place at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on April 26, 2024.
The Knight Riders are second in the points table, on the back of their five wins in seven games. They held their nerve in the last home game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to snatch a one-run victory from the doors of defeat. Their +1.206 net run rate (NRR) also ensures how powerful their journey has been in this competition so far. A win for them in the KKR vs PBKS will take them close to the qualifying round.
Punjab had a contrasting trip so far. With four successive defeats, PBKS find themselves in the penultimate position in the points table. Their main concern, since the start of the tournament has been their struggling top order. The average of 18.88 in eight innings from their top order is undoubtedly the lowest among all the teams in this IPL 2024. Harshal Patel is the third highest-wicket taker of the tournament so far, but his expensive economy of 9.58 never allowed them to put pressure on the opponents.
Also Read: IPL 2024: SRH vs RCB Head-to-Head Records, Match 41
For the hosts, the batting has been smooth. The top order, especially both the openers, Sunil Narine and Phil Salt are giving them good starts in most of the games. Narine is the tenth-highest run-getter of IPL 2024 with 286 runs at a strike rate of 176.54, including his 109 against Rajasthan Royals (RR).
The only worry for them so far is the struggle of Mitchell Starc, who has just six wickets in this edition, and that too at a high economy of 11.48. He was injured in the last game against RCB and had figures of 1/55 in three overs.
It will be the first KKR vs PBKS clash in this 17th season of the IPL.
KKR vs PBKS: Journey in IPL 2024 so far:
KKR:
- 1st Match: Beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by four runs.
- 2nd Match: Beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by seven wickets.
- 3rd Match: Beat Delhi Capitals by 106 runs.
- 4th Match: Lost to Chennai Super Kings by 7 wickets.
- 5th Match: Beat Lucknow Super Giants by 8 wickets.
- 6th Match: Lost to Rajasthan Royals by 2 wickets.
- 7th Match: Beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 1 run.
PBKS:
- 1st Match: Beat Delhi Capitals by 4 wickets.
- 2nd Match: Lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 4 wickets.
- 3rd Match: Lost to Lucknow Super Giants by 21 runs.
- 4th Match: Beat Gujrat Titans by 3 wickets.
- 5th Match: Lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 2 runs.
- 6th Match: Lost to Rajasthan Royals by 3 wickets.
- 7th Match: Lost to Mumbai Indians by 9 runs.
- 8th Match: Lost to Gujrat Titans by 3 wickets.
Also Read: IPL 2024: SRH vs RCB Match Prediction- Match 41, Who Will Win Today IPL Match?
KKR vs PBKS Teams:
Kolkata Knight Riders
It’s not confirmed but there was news of a potential injury of Mitchell Starc, that he picked up during the last game against RCB.
KKR Probable XI: Phil Salt (wk.), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc/Dushmantha Chameera, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana.
KKR Impact Sub: Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
Punjab Kings
Even though Shikhar Dhawan has started practicing, it’s still unclear whether he is fit for the match.
PBKS probable XI: Sam Curran (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Rilee Rossouw, Liam Livingstone, Shashank Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk.), Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh.
PBKS Impact Sub: Harpreet Singh, Rahul Chahar, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Atharva Taide, Shivam Singh.
