The 46th match of the IPL will see the Kings XI Punjab taking on the Kolkata Knight Riders to be played in Sharjah. Eoin Morgan has played many great cameos this year but hasn’t scored a fifty yet. KL Rahui may have not scored the last few games but he has turned it around as far as his captaincy is concerned winning the last 4 games. Their reverse fixture saw KKR defeating KXIP in what was a thrilling finish by 2 runs.
KKR is back to their winning ways by producing a complete performance against DC after suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of RCB just a few days back. Sunil Narine made a memorable return to the team scoring a quickfire 64 off 32 balls and the under-fire batsman Nitish Rana who was promoted to open the innings top scored with 81 runs. But the real difference was made by their mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy who took a fifer with the ball completely bamboozling the Delhi Capitals middle-order. Pat Cummins chipped in with his season’s best performance of 3-16 resulting in KKR’s win by 59 runs.
KXIP has now won 4 on 4 games and now has a real chance to qualify for playoffs if they defeat KKR in this game. It has been such a kind of season where in the first half they seem to find ways to lose a game and now things have completely changed. Coming to game vs SRH, they were on course to lose the game but somehow managed to make a match out of it and win. KXIP will be a confident bunch going into this game.
Key Players
Batsman – KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Eoin Morgan, and Shubman Gill.
With Nitish Rana back among runs, it is time now for the young Shubman Gill to showcase his class. His performances have diminished over the course of the tournament and there is no better game to get it on track than this must-win encounter. Eoin Morgan has been a consistent performer in this IPL but has not scored a 50 plus score as of yet. KL Rahul had 2 rare failures in his last 2 games and will want to play a match-winning knock in this all-important game. The universe now seems to be the missing link for KXIP and after his return, they have roared back into contention.
All Rounder- Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine, Chris Jordon, and Glenn Maxwell.
Chris Jordon the bowler was the star with the ball in their unlikely win over SRH and he proved why he is rated as one of the best death bowlers going around. He is also decent with the bat. Maxwell needs 1 good performance to get back to his best and this match presents the best arena to do so. KKR will be happy that two of their overseas pros contributed significantly to the success of the team. While Narine shined with the bat at last, though what was ingesting was his remodeled bowling action and its effectiveness. Pat Cummins finally was among wickets which is a good sign for the KKR.
Bowlers – Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakravarthy, Akshdeep Singh, and Mohammad Shami.
Lockie Ferguson has been very impressive since making an appearance in this IPL taking 5 wickets from 3 games and KKR will want him to keep up his form which would help KKR’s chances. Varun Chakravarthy, with a fifer, is now the highest wicket-taker for KKR this season and he reciprocated his team management’s confidence in him. Shami seemed to be injured & not 100% and after completing his bowling spell early in the piece, he was spotted in the dressing room. He is an important player for the team and they will hope that his injury is not serious. Akshdeep Singh is improving as a death bowler and is a great prospect for the future. He was one of the reasons for KXIP’s win over SRH.
Battles to look forward
- Chris Jordon vs Eoin Morgan
- Mohammad Shami vs Sunil Narine
- Pat Cummins and Lockie Ferguson vs KL Rahul and Chris Gayle
Chris Jordon produced a fine death-bowling performance vs SRH and this is what is exactly required when he faces the likes of Eoin Morgan & KKR’s other middle-order batters. Narine the batsman finally came into his own and he thrashes everything in his sight from a spinner or medium-pacer. A quick pacer is the one who can trouble him and this is where Shami comes to play. The overseas quicks of KKR will be looked upon to remove the KXIPs’ top-order batsmen Chris Gayle and KL Rahul who are capable of taking the game away from them.
Head to Head between KKR and KXIP.
- Matches Played: 26
- KXIP Won: 8
- KKR won: 18
Significant Approaching Milestones.
61- Rahul Tripathi needs 61 more runs to cross 1000 IPL runs.
Match conditions
Venue: Sharjahcricket Stadium, Sharjah.
Date & Timings: October 26, 2020, at 3.30 PM IST.
Weather: Clear with the temperature around 32-33 C.
Pitch: Likely to be a good batting surface slowing down as the game progresses with the possibility of due.
