IPL 2022, Match 8 KKR vs PBKS, Stats Preview: Players records and approaching milestones

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will be locking horns against each other in the 8th match of IPL 2022 at Wankhede Stadium. While KKR were the runners-up of the 2021 IPL, PBKS finished in sixth place. After winning their opening match in a comfortable chase against KKR, they have lost closely in their second match against RCB. Punjab Kings have, however, defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their only match this season.

Though KKR were comfortable in a small chase against CSK, the batting crumbled while being put to bat first against RCB. All of them got starts but none made it to a half-decent score. Without any decent partnerships, the Knight Riders helter-skeltered to 128 all-out with more than an over to spare. Despite the low total, the opening bowlers Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee helped in producing an exciting contest but eventually lost the match.

Punjab Kings have an outstanding batting lineup among all teams according to the experts. That was proved in the first match where they chased down 206 against RCB with an over to spare. They had their solid openers in Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan and powerful finishers in Shahrukh Khan and Odean Smith performing their roles well, however, it was their keeper Bhanuka Rajapaksa who did the maximum damage.

How longer would Rajapaksa continue this form is crucial in improving their rather feeble middle order. The Punjab Kings bowlers do not have much to flaunt despite a win, as their bowling prowess would be tested on a livelier pitch at Wankhede. Shreyas Iyer would look to get back to winning ways after a loss to RCB.

Here are some of the important stats and numbers ahead of Match 8 between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League 2022:

Head to head: These sides have faced each other 29 times in the IPL, where KKR won 19 and PBKS won 10. The Knight Riders have a firm edge over the opposition.

 2 – Tim Southee needs 2 more wickets to become the first New Zealander to 250 T20 wickets.

31 – Total wickets taken by Sunil Narine against PBKS, which is the highest by any player against them.

 50 – Umesh Yadav is set to play his 50th IPL match for KKR, and become the first specialist fast bowler to play at least 50 IPL matches for the franchise.

 1 – Total wickets taken by Sunil Narine in his last 4 IPL matches at Wankhede. The star KKR bowler would like to change these numbers.

51 – Mayank Agarwal needs 51 more runs to complete 4000 runs in T20 cricket.

6 – Ajinkya Rahane needs 6 runs to reach 4000 runs in the IPL. He will become the 13th player to reach the milestone.

1 – Four needed for Shreyas Iyer to reach 200 fours in IPL.

1 – Sunil Narine needs 1 more wicket to have the most wickets by any player against a particular opposition in IPL. Currently he has 31 wickets against PBKS, tied with Lasith Malinga’s 31 against CSK and Dwayne Bravo’s 31 against MI.

121 – Runs scored against Shikhar Dhawan against KKR last season, but these have come at a strike-rate of just 100.

1 – Jonny Bairstow (99) needs one four to reach 100 fours in the IPL.

4 – Andre Russell (146) is four big hits away from reaching 150 sixes in the cash-rich league.

4 – Bairstow (46) also requires four sixes to get to 50 maximums in the league.

8 – Shikhar Dhawan (992) requires eight fours to complete 1000 fours in the T20 games.

5 – Liam Livingstone (245) needs five big hits to reach 250 sixes in T20 cricket.

45 – Bhanuka Rajapaksa (1955) is 45 runs short of reaching 2000 runs in the T20 matches.

92 – Shreyas Iyer (2408) needs 92 runs to complete 2500 runs in the league.

7 – Agarwal (143) needs seven sixes to complete 150 sixes in the T20 matches.

10 – Venkatesh Iyer (40) requires 10 fours to get to 50 fours in the tournament.

34 – Sunil Narine (966) can complete 1000 runs in the league by scoring more 34 runs.