Kolkata Knight Riders are back in action on Friday, looking to close the gap on runaway leaders Rajasthan Royals when they host struggling Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens.
After a difficult couple of years, KKR have been back with a bang this season with a well-balanced side that has performing players throughout the side while also still having room to improve, with the likes of Mitchell Starc, Rinku Singh and Venkatesh Iyer yet to show their true ability.
Punjab Kings on the other hand find themselves second-from bottom in the table, with key players out of form yet with a potent bowling attack yet to go the distance in the tournament. They are without a batter with more than 200 runs and if they can find a solution to that, it could easily be a different story.
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Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings Tips and Predictions
Phil Salt & Sam Curran each to score 20+ runs
We’re going to start off with a focus on two of the England players on display, with Salt making an immediate impression in his first season with KKR while Curran has stepped in as captain for the Kings in the absence of Shikhar Dhawan.
Not only has he taken on that responsibility as well as his usual death bowling, but Curran has been opening the batting in recent matches following the decision to drop Jonny Bairstow.
While it would not be a surprise to see Bairstow return at some point, the Curran experiment at the top of the order is likely to continue here and while he has not had the best time with the bat of late - since scoring 63 in the first game he has managed just 89 runs in his next seven knocks - he will look to be the anchor and set the platform for the hitters down the order.
He made a workmanlike 20 in the last game but is capable of doing the job so we think he could be worth backing, while Salt has been a revelation since he was called up late following Jason Roy’s withdrawal.
Salt has formed an entertaining partnership with Sunil Narine and is averaging 41.50 with a strike-rate of 169.38 at the top of the order. He is a player playing at the peak of his game and will be desperate to keep performing.
Sunil Narine to hit a six and take a wicket
Narine has been unleashed at the top of the order again this season, with 286 runs going into the game having not made more than 100 in the past three seasons and only once scoring more than his current total.
He has embraced his new role, striking at over 176 and his partnership with Salt has been a big part of KKR’s early success. Narine goes out to bat with total freedom, hitting 28 fours and 20 sixes in his seven matches so far, and he is particularly brutal on seam, hence the role at the top of the order.
His approach favours six-hitting and with 20 in seven matches so far that is born out in the numbers, and don’t forget his primary role is with the ball and he hasn’t shied away this season with nine wickets so far making this a pretty safe-looking bet.
Salt to score 20+, Harshal Patel to take 2+ wickets, KKR to make the highest powerplay score
We have already been through the strength and form of Salt this season. Having made his real international breakthrough late last year with successive centuries for England he has continued that form KKR - even after going unsold in the auction - and his form could even lead to a red-ball debut for England this summer.
Even against a potent Kings attack, we think he will go well once more and with his partnership with Narine, help KKR post the higher powerplay score of the two sides - Punjab Kings by contrast have tended to explode at the end of innings.
Don’t rule out the PK attack though. Kagiso Rabada is world class, Arshdeep Singh is very dangerous, Curran is an experienced death bowler and in Harshal Patel they have one of the top wicket-takers in recent seasons.
With bowlers looking to cash in away from Rabada and with Harshal boasting a good record of picking up late innings wickets, we think he will improve on his 13 wickets so far this season.
Salt to score 20+, Harshal Patel to take 2+ wickets, KKR to make the highest powerplay score
IPL 2024 - KKR vs Punjab Kings
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