IPL 2020: Match 46, KKR vs KXIP- KKR Predicted Playing XI

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are currently placed fourth in the points table in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The team, captained by England’s World Cup-winning skipper Eoin Morgan, won their previous match against the Delhi Capitals (DC) by 59 runs at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi and must be high on confidence.

The Knights put forth a collective effort on Saturday. In their next match, the Men in Gold and Purple would be facing the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) on Monday, October 26 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The Punjab-based franchise are on a rampage, winning their last four games.

They also defended 126 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), winning by 12 runs. For the Knights, it remains to be seen if they make any changes to their playing eleven.

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for the Kolkata Knight Riders for KKR vs KXIP game: 

Openers (Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana)

The Knights are most likely to retain their opening duo of Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana. The team will be a tad concerned with Shubman’s form. The right-hander has 321 runs without a doubt, but at a mere strike-rate of 111.84.

He hasn’t been able to press the accelerator in the powerplay overs. Rana, on the other hand, was going through a poor run of form. However, the left-hander managed to arrest his slump after being promoted as the opener.

The southpaw smashed 81 and played until the last over. Both Rana and Shubman will be looking to use their left-right combo to good effect.

Middle-order (Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Eoin Morgan (C))

In the middle-order, Rahul Tripathi’s form has been concerning. After his 81 against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) earlier this month, he hasn’t had a knock of substance. In eight games, Tripathi has 181 runs at an average of 22.62.

He needs to up the ante and start scoring some runs at the earliest. Dinesh Karthik hasn’t had the best of tournaments either. Averaging 14.80 with 148 runs under his belt, the former KKR captain has shown sparks of brilliance but hasn’t been consistent by any means.

He can take heart from the fifty he notched against KXIP. Morgan’s role will also be critical as he has performed well thus far.

All-rounder (Sunil Narine)

Sunil Narine has batted everywhere in the batting lineup. But after a string of failures, it was at number five where he tasted quite a bit of success.

The 32-ball 64 he scored against DC would give him a lot of confidence. However, the southpaw needs to get amongst the wickets as well, being one of their premier spinners in the bowling attack.

Bowlers (Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy)

In the bowling department, Pat Cummins would be relieved after he got three wickets last time around. He needs to carry on with his decent form. New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson has been outstanding ever since he has come into the KKR setup.

He has six wickets to show for his efforts. Varun Chakravarthy must be brimming with confidence after picking up a five-wicket haul last time around.

He, currently, has 12 wickets at an economy rate around seven. Prasidh Krishna and Kamlesh Nagarkoti also need to play with caution and make breakthroughs on a consistent basis.