IPL 2018 Live Score, KXIP vs KKR: Kolkata Knight Riders have lost their previous two games. (Source: IPL)
IPL 2018 Live Score, KXIP vs KKR: Flying after two consecutive victories over Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Dinesh Karthik-led KKR were shocked into focus after they lost two consecutive matches against Mumbai Indians. Now, a spot in the Playoff hangs in a balance, with both Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals in contention to be the fourth team to make it through the round robin stages. A visit to Indore to take on Kings XI Punjab is much crucial for KKR as they need to pick up a victory to move along ahead in the table. But KXIP, who have a terrific home record this season, will not be an easy opponent to take on.
IPL 2018 Live Score, KXIP vs KKR: Chris Gayle and KL Rahul are in excellent form for KXIP. (Source: BCCI)
Highlights
Here are the predicted XI betweenKings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted XI: Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(c), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Tom Curran, Prasidh Krishna
Kings XI Punjab Predicted XI: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal, Marcus Stoinis, Manoj Tiwary, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Aaron Finch, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Andrew Tye
After two back-to-back defeats, the KKR's thinktank is working hard to come up with new strategies. It is time for skipper Dinesh Karthik to go back to the books and focus.
The match is about to start in just a few hours and both the teams are practicing hard at the nets. Everyone knows what is at stake and the consequences are high in this crucial tie.
Kolkata Knight Riders have seen their highs and lows in this year's IPL, and this is perhaps their lowest point so far in the tournament. After two consecutive wins over Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings, KKR suffered a major blow, losing two straight matches against Mumbai Indians. With the two losses, KKR's hold in the top four position has come into serious jeopardy.
Kings XI Punjab started off brilliantly this season, with the Gayle storm riding high on success. The opening pair of KL Rahul and Chris Gayle proved to be a successful opening pair as they took Kings XI Punjab on a winning run. But in the past couple of weeks, the momentum for KXIP has shifted a bit. With 2 losses in the past 3 matches, a 6-wicket loss against Mumbai Indians, and a 15-run loss against Rajasthan Royals, KXIP's strong hold in the top of the table has now started to slip. They need to win at home against KKR to get back into the thick of things.
The last night saw another thrilling encounter between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings. With a brilliant knock of 95*, his third fifty on the trot, Jos Buttler scripted a smashing victory for his side, ensuring a survival in the tournament and putting them in contention for the Playoffs.
Hello and welcome to our Live Blog on Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders. The battle is now getting tense with so many teams vying to make it through the Playoffs, and a surprise bounce back from Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals, have now things made even tougher for each team. KKR have lost their last two matches and the upcoming away fixture against KXIP is a must-win for them. On the other hand, KXIP have also lost two of their last three matches, and they need to find the winning momentum back again, in order to ensure a ticket to Playoffs. A slip for each team in this crucial tie could prove costly.