| Match Date: | 27th March, Wednesday |
| Match Timing: | 8:00 PM |
| Expected Crowd Turnout: | 60,000 |
| Match Venue: | Eden Garden, Kolkata |
The Match 6 of VIVO Indian Premier League 2019 will see Kolkata Knight Riders welcome Monday’s winners Kings XI Punjab at the iconic Eden Garden in Kolkata. The two sides are well balanced and in form. On one hand, you have hosts KKR who buried their demons of last year’s playoff defeat and won against Sunrisers Hyderabad. With over 60 runs needed from the last five overs, Andre Russell (49*) guided the Riders to an unlikely victory.
Similarly, KXIP also won in the most unlikely circumstances, defending 184 when Rajasthan Royals were on the cusp of victory. Having shone with the bat, they played with the ball as well to clinch the first match by 14 runs. It will, therefore, make the Wednesday’s clash between KKR and KXIP an interesting affair.
Here is the detailed analysis of the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab IPL match:
| Key Players in form | KKR- Andre Russell, Nitish Rana, Robin Uthappa
KXIP- Chris Gayle, Sarfaraz Khan, Sam Curran, |
| Weather Conditions | 26℃, 76% Humidity, Winds up to 8 km/hr. No signs of rain. |
| Toss Advantage | Team batting first has won in four of the five times last season. However, KKR chose to bowl first and even won the last match against SRH. |
| Pitch Conditions | Flat, Batting-friendly pitch. High humidity may affect bowling later in the evening. |
| Venue Stats | Average Total (2018): 161
Highest Total (2018): 210/6 (MI) Last Match Total: 183/4 (KKR) |
| Ground Size: Eden Gardens | Side Boundaries: 64 m, Straight Boundary: 82 m |
| Injury Updates | KKR – Anrich Nortje (Shoulder), Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti (Sandeep Warrier will be replacing him).
KXIP – Andrew Tye was absent from the match against Rajasthan Royals, most probably due to the international duty for Australia. If that was the case, he may be absent for this fixture as well. |
| Home Advantage | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Head-to-Head | KKR 15 – 8 KXIP (0 Draw) |
| Form | KKR – W W W L W
KXIP – L L L L W |
| Playing11 | KKR Playing11
Chris Lynn, Nitish Rana, Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik, Sunil Narine, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Lockie Ferguson KXIP Playing11 KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Nicholas Pooran, Sam Curran, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Ankit Rajpoot. |
KKR vs KXIP Dream11 Prediction
Kolkata Knight Riders made a statement of sorts after defeating last years runner ups by 6 wickets. Their last meeting, a playoff contest that had ended in a disappointing 14 run defeat and history seemed to repeat itself as KKR were falling behind in the chase. Nonetheless, an inspiring performance from Nitish Rana (68), Robin Uthappa (35), and ultimately Andre Russell was enough to ensure that the revenge was exacted this time around.
The latter was especially impressive for his all-round performance. The West Indian scalped two wickets in the first innings, before hitting 49 runs off just 19 balls to guide the hosts to an impressive victory.
Last 16 balls of #KKRvsSRH – 6,6,1,1,4,1,4,6,4,0,6,1,1,6,0,6 ?
We scored 53 off the last 16 balls – that's the most anyone has scored to win in the last three overs of any #IPL game ever! ?#KKRHaiTaiyaar pic.twitter.com/WMCW38woXe
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 26, 2019
The bowlers did not have a good evening on the whole though with spinners Sunil Narine (0/29), and Kuldeep Yadav (0/18) failing to make the desired impact. KKR would be hoping to correct this part of their game.
Talking about Playing 11, it is expected to remain unchanged although Carlos Brathwaite may be in the offing in place of Lockie Ferguson.
KXIP
As for KXIP, they too registered an inspiring performance, both with the willow as well as the ball in their first match against Rajasthan Royals. Chris Gayle (79) gave Kings a blistering start, crossing the 4,000 run mark in the process.
Sarfaraz Khan (46) also provided a great cameo, in the end, to see the team post a competitive total of 184/4. However, the target seemed to be achievable with Royals cruising at 78/0 within the first 8 overs.
Then in the 13th over, Ravichandran Ashwin did the unthinkable by ‘Mankading’ Jos Buttler at the non-striker’s end, much to the astonishment of the assembled crowd and the batsman as well. Whether the move was ethical or not is a different point altogether, but it did, in fact, have a solid impact on the game.
?️ No real argument. I didn't even load and he (Buttler) just left the place. That's pretty much it.@ashwinravi99 on Jos Buttler's dismissal.#SaddaPunjab #KXIP #RRvKXIP #VIVOIPL
— Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) March 25, 2019
After dismissing Buttler, the Kings took wickets on regular intervals to decimate Rajasthan from 108/1 to 164/9. Mujeeb Rahman, Sam Curran, and Ankit Rajpoot all took two wickets to cap off an incredible comeback victory.
Choosing a clear cut winner between the two can be a bit tricky. Nonetheless, KKR has more firepower, better spin department and a more balanced side of the two. Add to that the home advantage and a superior head-to-head record and Kolkata Knight Riders are better placed to win the match against Kings XI Punjab.
KKR vs KXIP Dream11 Team 1
Chris Gayle, Robin Uthappa, Chris Lynn, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, Andre Russell, Sam Curran, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine
KKR vs KXIP Dream11 Team 2
Chris Gayle, Robin Uthappa, Chris Lynn, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, Andre Russell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine
