IPL 10, Match 49, KXIP v KKR Preview: Kings XI Punjab aim to cash in on outside chance

The Kings XI Punjab looked to be a confident side until they played the Gujarat Lions in their previous match. They had to win all their remaining fixtures in their bid to qualify for the playoffs. However, the defeat against the Lions have made the equation very tough for them. Even if they win all their remaining 3 matches, they will still not be guaranteed a place in the playoffs.

They need to bank on the results of the other teams as well. While that remains largely out of their control, they can at least try to win their matches in hand. The first of the three remaining games is against the mighty Kolkata Knight Riders. The KKR camp is oozing confidence at the moment after they humiliated the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their previous match.

With over 100 runs in the powerplay, they have found a powerhouse in their top order in the previous match. Having said that, it is worth noting that the Kings XI Punjab boast of a great swing bowling prospect in Sandeep Sharma. Hence, the contest in hand looks very enticing. The last time these two sides had met in the competition, it was the KKR batting that had dictated the terms in the game. Will the Kings return the favour and stay in contention?

Focus will be on

Sandeep Sharma

KXIP pacer Sandeep Sharma has been a perennial performer for his franchise for a long time now. In the last few games, he has got into a very good groove. He bagged two consecutive Player of the Match awards this season and hence will be high on confidence. Considering the strong KKR batting lineup, the team would bank on Sandeep Sharma to get rid of Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn cheaply early on in the innings.

Glenn Maxwell

The KXIP skipper Glenn Maxwell played a decent cameo in the previous match as he hit two maximums in his unbeaten stay at the crease. Maxwell showed some good form with the bat and the team would want him to continue on the same note in the fixtures to follow. Also, Maxwell was not at his very best as the captain in the previous match. He struggled with his field placements and that cost them dearly. Hence, Maxwell would be under some pressure to work in that aspect as well.

Yusuf Pathan

Hard-hitting batsman Yusuf Pathan has been watching the actions from the sidelines for quite some time now. The KKR top order has been doing the bulk of the run scoring in the recent few matches and hence his services have not been needed. But make no mistake, the Baroda all-rounder can take the attack to the opposition when needed. He has runs under his belt this season which will keep his spirits high as well.

Team Combinations:

Kings XI Punjab

The Kings XI Punjab batting revolved around the innings played by Hashim Amla in the previous match. Amla is most likely to miss out the remainder of the season as he will be heading England for the national duties. It will be ideal for KXIP to draft in Darren Sammy at his place for this game. Sammy can take up the middle order responsibility, while Manan Vohra can open the innings with Martin Guptill.

Meanwhile, Gurkeerat Singh Mann might be excluded from the lineup. Varun Aaron, who had very poor outing in the previous match, might pave way for someone like Ishant Sharma in the playing eleven. In case the team wishes to field an extra spinner, KC Cariappa could be the one playing for Varun Aaron.

Kolkata Knight Riders

The Kolkata Knight Riders are likely to field the same team going into the game against the Kings. They had won their previous game and hence look very settled on paper at the moment. They might be tempted to field Nathan Coulter-Nile in place of Chris Woakes considering the fact that the English pacer has not been the among the most economical options this season.

Also, Piyush Chawla might get an extended game considering the point that the opposition skipper has had hit struggle against the leg spinners in the past. Robin Uthappa is likely to miss out the game as his injury update has not been very fruitful as of now. The batting looks ominous with two hard hitters in Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine sitting at the top order.

Probable XI:

Kings XI Punjab: Manan Vohra, Martin Guptill, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell (c), Wriddhiman Saha (w), Darren Sammy, Axar Patel, Mohit Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, T Natarajan.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Sunil Narine, Gautam Gambhir (c), Chris Lynn, Manish Pandey, Sheldon Jackson (w), Yusuf Pathan, Chris Woakes, Colin de Grandhomme, Ankit Rajpoot, Piyush Chawla, Umesh Yadav.

StatAttack

20 – Number of times the two sides have faced off each other in IPL history. KKR have won on 14 occasions and KXIP only 6 times.

35 – Number of fifties hit by Gautam Gambhir in IPL – the most by any player.

201 – Batting strike rate of Chris Lynn this season – highest among all batsmen. Sunil Narine comes in next with strike rate of 185.