The match 53 of IPL 2023 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens Stadium on Monday, 8 May promises to be an exciting contest. Kolkata is on the eighth position in the points table, while Punjab is on the seventh position.
KKR, led by Nitish Rana, have won four and lost six matches so far, while PBKS, captained by Shikhar Dhawan, have won five and lost five matches in their campaign. In their last match, KKR secured a comfortable victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Meanwhile, PBKS suffered huge loss against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in their last match.
Two highly skilled teams are set to collide in what promises to be an exciting match. With both the teams eager to secure their fifth and sixth win in the IPL 2023. Both teams have played ten matches in this season. Kolkata has won 20 games, while Punjab has won 12 games so far in the head to head encounters.
Also Read: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings: Who Will Win Today Match in IPL 2023?
Here are three player battles to watch out for during KKR vs PBKS match:
1) Liam Livingstone vs Varun Chakaravarthy
After his scintillating unbeaten knock of 82 runs in the last game, KKR would want to stop Liam Livingstone from getting off to a flyer. The responsibility of containing the Englishman could fall on the shoulders of the impressive Varun Chakravarthy, who has taken eight wickets in overs between seven and 15 this season at an economy rate of 7.82. Livingstone has been striking at an impressive rate of 163.54 in IPL 2023.
2) Shikhar Dhawan vs Sunil Narine
Sunil Narine has been a thorn in Shikhar Dhawan’s side, dismissing him twice in 15 IPL meetings. Dhawan has scored 88 runs off 78 balls against Narine, with two boundaries and six maximums. However, the Delhi Capitals captain has struggled against off-spinners, with a strike rate of just 111.68 in the IPL. Narine has conceded runs at 10.71 against left-handed batsmen this season.
3) Andre Russell vs Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh has become a reliable death-overs bowler over the last couple of years, but stopping Andre Russell from scoring freely in that phase is a daunting task. The Kolkata Knight Riders star has scored 16 runs off six deliveries against Arshdeep and has been dismissed once. Russell has a strike rate of 193.08 in the final five overs of an IPL innings.