KKR vs KXIP: Preview, probable XI, match prediction, live streaming, weather forecast and pitch report
Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Kings XI Punjab in match 46 of IPL 2020 on Monday, 26th October, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. This is a match of great importance to both these teams as a win for either side will take them closer to the playoffs.
KXIP come off a stunning 12-run victory over SRH into this match, their fourth victory in a row. It was a low-scoring game, and in the absence of Mayank Agarwal, KXIP struggled to find the fence regularly and could muster a total of just 126.
After leaking 50 runs without picking up a wicket in the powerplay, KL Rahul's side pulled things back tremendously with all the bowlers bowling really well. Chris Jordan and Arshdeep Singh delivered in the death overs, enabling them to steal a 12-run win.
KKR, on the other hand, come off a rather convincing win over the Delhi Capitals. Nitish Rana and Sunil Narine blazed away in the middle overs to take them to a mammoth total of 194. Pat Cummins and Varun Chakravarthy bowled really well, with the latter picking up a five-wicket haul and really denting the DC batting lineup.
Such a showing against a top team like DC will certainly give Eoin Morgan's team some much-needed confidence after their humiliating loss to RCB in the previous game.
With this being a must-win game and with both teams being in good form, expect a closely-contested clash in Sharjah. KXIP will look to not choke once more the way they did when both these teams met earlier this season.
KKR vs KXIP match details
Date: 26th October 2020 (Monday)
Time: 7:30 PM IST.
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah.
Weather Forecast
It will be warm in Sharjah during the match. The average temperature expected is 30 degrees Celsius with no chance of rain. There might be some dew later on in the game.
Pitch Report
The pitch at Sharjah is a balanced one, with the pacers getting good bounce and movement from the wicket. The spinners will get some turn as well. The batsmen will find it easier to score runs once they get their eye in.
Predicted XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR seems to have found the right balance in their XI now that Sunil Narine is being deployed as a floater. While they'll hope that Shubman Gill gets back in touch, they don't have too many pressing concerns. Dinesh Karthik got some runs against KXIP earlier this season, and he'll look to repeat the feat in this game. Varun Chakravarthy will once again be crucial in containing the flow of runs in the middle overs.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): Rahul Tripathi, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan(C), Dinesh Karthik (WK), Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, and Lockie Ferguson.
Kings XI Punjab
Having won four games on the trot, Punjab seem to have found the right team combination. Mayank Agarwal should return to the side if he recovers from his injury. Otherwise, they're likely to play the same team as in the last game. Considering the number of left-handers in the KKR team, Glenn Maxwell's bowling will come in handy, and that's likely to keep him in the team.
Predicted XI: KL Rahul (C and WK), Mandeep Singh/ Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Deepak Hooda, Chris Jordan, Murugan Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, and Arshdeep Singh
KKR vs KXIP match prediction
Both teams go into this game with a lot of positivity and winning momentum. KKR has had the better of KXIP in the past, however, KL Rahul's team look full of confidence. They have won four matches on the trot, and if their skipper delivers with the bat again, they should have the edge over KKR.
KKR vs KXIP TV and live streaming details
TV: Star Sports Network.
Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar VIP