There is a possibility of rain on KKR vs Punjab Kings match in Kolkata. Punjab team is balanced and in form, whereas KKR is struggling with weak bowling. When the match takes place, Punjab will have the upper hand.
Kolkata: Rain may spoil Punjab Kings’ hopes of a third consecutive win. At the same time, this rain can also save Kolkata Knight Riders from their third consecutive defeat. There is a match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens here on Monday. But, due to the rain in Kolkata on Sunday, the entire stadium had to be covered with a cover. The Meteorological Department has also expressed the possibility of rain on Monday, which may hamper the match.
Weak bowling became a headache for KKR
If we look at the strengths of both the teams, the Punjab team looks quite balanced. The team has performed brilliantly in both the matches played so far. Punjab’s batting and bowling, both are strong. On the other hand, KKR’s batting is fine, but their bowling has proved to be very weak. Star spinners like Sunil Narine and Varun Chakraborty proving costly is the biggest concern for the team. Besides, there is a lack of good fast bowlers in the team, the pressure of which is clearly visible on the batsmen.
Punjab Kings are in strong form
Punjab Kings, who had reached the final in the last IPL season, have maintained their excellent rhythm in this 19th season also. If rain does not interfere and the match is completed, then Punjab team will enter the field as a strong contender for victory.
Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly and captain Shreyas Iyer are in great form in the Punjab team. Iyer single-handedly has the ability to change the course of the match. In bowling, Kannada fast bowlers Vaishak Vijayakumar and Arshdeep Singh are also in good form.
Probable playing XI of both the teams
Kolkata Knight Riders: Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Ankul Roy, Sunil Narine, Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakraborty.
Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Yanson, Arshdeep Singh, Vaishak Vijaykumar, Xavier Bartlett.
Match starts: 7:30 pm
Live Telecast: Star Sports/Jio Hotstar