Preview:
Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders both have had a very disappointing start to their 2021 Indian Premier League campaign, but there is one thing that separates the two. Punjab Kings, who won only one of their first four games, played brilliantly to beat defending champions Mumbai Indians in their last game.
Contrary to them, there has been no sign of a resurgence by Kolkata Knight Riders, as they failed to perform yet again in their last match, which was against Rajasthan Royals. Considering the forms of the two teams, there is no doubt that the Kings are favourites. However, Eoin Morgan & Co. will do all they can to avoid losing five games in a row.
Match Details:
Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Date & Time: 26th April 2021 at 7:30 PM IST
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hotstar
Pitch Report:
There were six 160+ scores in the T20I series between India and England here in Ahmedabad, which highlights the batting-friendly nature of the track. From the bowlers, spinners are likely to get the most help.
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Probable Playing XIs for PBKS vs KKR:
Punjab Kings:
Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (C and WK), Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Shahrukh Khan, Moises Henriques, Fabian Allen, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami.
Kolkata Knight Riders:
Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (C), Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Pat Cummins, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna.
Top Picks for PBKS vs KKR Dream11 Match:
Top Picks – Batsmen
Mayank Agarwal has found some sort of form, as he has scored 20+ in all of his last three games. He smashed a half-century in the game against Delhi Capitals.
Chris Gayle brushed aside the failures of three consecutive games to score a very important 43 in the last match against Mumbai. His aim now will be to keep the momentum going and not let his form take a dip again.
Top Picks – All-Rounders
Andre Russell came out to bat at a stage where Rajasthan were completely in control in the last game, and hence, his dismissal for 9 runs is not something that should worry you. Instead, his 54 from 22 deliveries against Chennai Super Kings makes him a must pick.
Deepak Hooda has scored some runs in this competition, but he picked up his first IPL 2021 wicket in the match against Mumbai Indians. In a possibly turning track of Ahmedabad, Hooda is likely to get a few overs.
Top Picks – Bowlers
After two games without any wicket, Mohammed Shami bowled brilliantly in the last game against Mumbai Indians. He picked up 2 wickets by conceding only 21 runs.
Varun Chakravarthy is one of the very few KKR players who have shown some kind of consistency. He has picked up at least one wicket in all of his last four games, and has not conceded 40 runs or more in any of those games.
Top Picks – Wicketkeepers
KL Rahul is a hot favourite for the orange cap this year as well, as the Punjab Kings’ skipper has already scored three half-centuries. He scored 60 runs from 52 deliveries in his last game.
PBKS vs KKR Must Picks for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
| Player | Statistics (Last 5 IPL matches) | Dream11 Points |
| KL Rahul | 221 runs | 89, 8, 84, 18, 142 |
| Mayank Agarwal | 130 runs | 35, 36, 102, 2, 20 |
| Chris Gayle | 119 runs | 68, 21, 25, 16, 58 |
| Nitish Rana | 186 runs | 29, 15, 30, 79, 119 |
| Andre Russell | 108 runs, 7 wickets | 15, 106, 44, 161, 33 |
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Suggested Playing XI No.1 for PBKS vs KKR Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
KL Rahul (C), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Moises Henriques, Andre Russell (VC), Pat Cummins, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy
Suggested Playing XI No.2 for PBKS vs KKR Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal (C), Nitish Rana (VC), Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Fabian Allen, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Mohammad Shami, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh
PBKS vs KKR Risky Captaincy Choices:
Rahul Tripathi is the only batsman from KKR who looked in good touch in the last game, as he smashed 36 runs from 26 deliveries. It was his second 30+ score in this IPL.
Pat Cummins is not doing a great job with the ball, but he has scored 76 runs in his last two games. The change in venue might help him to get back amongst wickets.
Player you should avoid:
Nothing has been going in Eoin Morgan’s favour. While his captaincy is being criticized, he has failed to perform with the bat as well. Morgan has not scored 30+ runs even once in this season, and he can be given a miss for this game.
