IPL 2024: Four Crucial Duels in Match 42 Between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings
On Friday, April 26, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings will play IPL 2024’s Match 42 at the famed Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
They have played each other 32 times in the past, with KKR winning 21 of the matches. Punjab has prevailed twice in the past five duels, despite this one-sided rivalry. In their most recent matchup, KKR was defeated by the Punjabi team.
KKR vs. PBKS: Kolkata and Punjab’s current IPL 2024 lineups
KKR is having a fantastic season. They have won five of their seven games so far, placing them in second place in the standings. In contrast, PBKS, now ranked eighth, has dropped six of their last eight games.
Even with a potent bowling unit, KKR has had trouble keeping their lead in points. The Knights won the game against RCB by a single run even though they scored 222 against RR, but they were unable to defend a 223 total against them. However, the visitors had lost their past four straight games and were outplayed in the closing moments of the games. This might, however, be altered in this game since Eden Gardens’ pitch seems to be better suited for the English team, PBKS, with their abundance of batters.
IPL 2024: Four Crucial Matches pitting Punjab and Kolkata against one another
Sunil Narine & Philip Salt vs. Kagiso Rabada
Without a doubt, Kagiso Rabada is the Punjab team’s most experienced and accomplished bowler. The right-arm fast bowler from South Africa is well-known for his bouncers and raw pace, which may pose a serious threat to the Knight openers. The opening players’ efforts this season have been a major contributing reason to the KKR’s success thus far. His bouncers might cause issues, particularly for Narine.
Harshal Patel vs. Shreyas Iyer
Even though the KKR captain is often scoring runs, he has to do better. It’s clear from the previous games that Eden Gardens can definitely pursue a score of 220 or higher. KKR isn’t reaching 240 or more on the scoreboard because to their poor strike rates and reluctance to take big strokes in the middle overs. Iyer may find this encounter challenging because of his vulnerability against short balls. For the Knights, his performance against the PBKS bowling lineup, which is dominated by pacers, especially against bowlers like Harshal Patel, would be critical.
Varun Chakravarthy vs Liam Livingstone
The Eden Gardens surface may benefit the English batsman even if the all-rounder is not playing well. However, it remains to be seen whether he can control the Knights’ spin assault, particularly from a leg-spinner like as Varun Chakravarthy. Livingstone might pose a serious threat to KKR if he is able to overcome this obstacle, particularly if PBKS is required to bat second.
Sunil Narine vs. Ashutosh Sharma & Shashank Singh
Ashutosh Sharma and Shashank Singh are the Kings’ top batters so far this year. It is reasonable to presume that the PBKS hitters faced the Knight spin unit in the middle overs based on their previous performance. Throughout the seasons, Sunil Narine’s economic overs have consistently had a negative influence on the Knights. The outcome of the match will be determined by the performances of this batting combination, particularly if Punjab chooses to bat first.
