We are back to just the one match in the Indian Premier League on Monday as the Kolkata Knight Riders look to keep their IPL 2023 hopes alive when they play host to the Punjab Kings at the famous Eden Gardens.
If the Knight Riders are going to qualify for the finals this season they have to win out from here so they are under pressure in this match. The Kings have a little more wiggle room but can’t afford more than one more loss so this should be very competitive.
Kolkata Knight Riders
The Kolkata Knight Riders came out of the traps fast this season winning their opening two matches but they have only won two of the eight which have been played since then and have now found themselves in a precarious position where they have to win their last four matches or else ultimately this will be another campaign of disappointment. If they are going to do that then they need to get winning on home soil, something they have only done once in four tries.
The big problem for the Knight Riders is their top order just haven’t combined and gelled well. They have had some individual efforts and some big ones at that but they haven’t really fired as a unit like they can. They could really do with finding four consistent performances with the bat. If they can do that then their trio of spinners should start coming to the party now that the pitches are beginning to tire a little but that won’t matter if they can’t put big scores on the board.
Punjab Kings
The Punjab Kings also won their first two matches but they have been unable to kick on and be counted since then. They have gone on a win, loss run in the last six matches so they do at least go into this match with one more win than their opponents, which does at least offer them a little more room to move so they aren’t under quite as much pressure as Kolkata in this match, but they would make life a lot easier if they can win here.
The Punjab Kings bowling has been a real concern in these inconsistent six matches. They have gone around the park a little too much and that is a surprise because they have some good options at their disposal, especially at the death where the likes of Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh are usually reliable individuals. The positive for the Punjab side is that since Liam Livingstone arrived and got going their batting is looking really daunting.
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Key Players
If Kolkata are going to win their last four matches then Andre Russell is going to need to come to the party, particularly with the bat. Three of their last four are at Eden Gardens where he can be brutal and his team need him to be here.
This ground is certainly not big enough for Liam Livingstone and if he can get in and face 30 balls then he could do some serious damage to the Kolkata Knight Riders’ hopes. He could quickly be striking at 200 and above and take the game away from the home side.
Betting
There is pressure on this match but there can only be one bet in the contest and that is over 16.5 sixes. Punjab Kings have fallen apart with the ball recently. They have conceded 200+ in their last four matches and now they head to potentially the best batting wicket in the country on tiny boundaries and up against a daunting batting unit even if it isn’t firing as one at the minute. The good thing is that Punjab can fight fire with fire.
Kolkata have been better with the ball but they can still be got after with it but they have a number of hitters in their side and if two or three of them go really big then they can run up the sixes in no time whatsoever. When these two met in Mohali at the beginning of the season there were 16 sixes on a much bigger ground than this one and there was no Jason Roy or Liam Livingstone on show in that match. In the last three games here there have been 22, 30 and 20 sixes and although there were only 13 in the first game on this ground, the Bangalore batters notoriously have mares against the Kolkata spinners. That isn’t the case with Punjab and I expect the sixes to flow here.
Tips
Back Over 16.5 sixes for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with Betway
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