Preview:
The two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be up against Punjab Kings in the 45th match of the IPL 2021. UAE is turning out to be a happy hunting ground for Knight Riders, as they have won 3 of their last 4 matches played here in the second leg of IPL. Despite fighting hard till the last ball against Chennai Super Kings, they eventually lost their second last match in the end by 2 wickets. Spirits will be high in the group, as they defeated Delhi Capitals by 3 wickets in their previous match. They are occupying the fourth spot in the standings with 10 points.
The same old story is continuing for Punjab Kings this year as well. They are struggling to field their best eleven on the field, which is hurting them big time. The lack of big hitters in the middle overs has hampered their progress in this edition. They lost to Mumbai Indians in their previous encounter by 6 wickets. It’s a must-win game for them and it will be interesting how they approach this match.
Match Details:
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, Match 45
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Date &Time: October 1st at 7:30 PM IST, and at 6:00 PM local time
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar
Pitch Report:
Despite favorable batting conditions, the teams batting first have struggled to get past the score of 170-run mark in the last 3 matches played here. The surface doesn’t change much throughout the entire course of the match. Bowling first is an excellent option.
Also Read: Reports: Abu Dhabi T10 League experienced an 84% rise in viewership with the 2021 season
Probable Playing XIs for KKR vs PBKS:
Kolkata Knight Riders
Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (c), Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Sandeep Warrier, Varun Chakravarthy
Punjab Kings
Lokesh Rahul (c & wk), Mayank Agarwal / Mandeep Singh, Chris Gayle, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Harpreet Brar, Nathan Ellis, Mohammad Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh
Top Picks for KKR vs PBKS Dream11 Match:
Top Picks – Batters
Rahul Tripathi is a must pick for your fantasy teams. He is highly underrated, as his numbers prove how effective he has been. He is the leading run-scorer for Knight Riders in this IPL with 315 runs in 10 innings.
Aiden Markram is a fine replacement for Dawid Malan for the second leg of the IPL. He has done quite well in his first 3 matches by scoring 95 runs in 3 matches at an average of 47.5. Moreover, Markram is handy with the ball as well.
Top Picks – All-Rounders
Sunil Narine was the player of the match in the last match against Delhi Capitals for his all-round display. He picked up 2 wickets at an economy of 4.5 and later scored a quickfire 21 runs from just 10 deliveries.
Venkatesh Iyer has been one of the finds of the season. The KKR all-rounder has scored 126 runs, while he also has picked up 2 wickets.
Top Picks – Bowlers
Varun Chakravarthy hasn’t given away too many runs in this IPL. He has picked up 11 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 6.81, with the best figures of 3 for 13.
Arshdeep Singh bowls wide yorkers quite well and he will be used mainly in the death overs. He has bagged 13 wickets in 9 matches, with the best figures of 5/32.
Top Picks – Wicketkeepers
Lokesh Rahul hasn’t gone big in the second leg, given the high standards he has set. He has managed to score 91 runs in the last 3 matches. Punjab Kings are expecting a huge score from him in the do-or-die game.
KKR vs PBKS Must Picks for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
| Player | Statistics (This Tournament) | Dream11 Points |
| Rahul Tripathi | 315 runs | 492 |
| Sunil Narine | 9 wickets and 31 runs | 377 |
| Venkatesh Iyer | 126 runs and 2 wickets | 262 |
| Lokesh Rahul | 422 runs | 652 |
| Aiden Markram | 95 runs | 157 |
Suggested Playing XI No.1 for KKR vs PBKS Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Lokesh Rahul (c), Aiden Markram, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Venkatesh Iyer (vc), Sunil Narine, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakravarthy
Suggested Playing XI No.2 for KKR vs PBKS Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Lokesh Rahul, Aiden Markram (vc), Chris Gayle, Rahul Tripathi (c), Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson
KKR vs PBKS Risky Captaincy Choices:
Shubman Gill is in reasonable form in the second leg of the IPL. The KKR opening batter has scored 100 runs in the last 4 matches. You can take a risk and pick him as your fantasy team skipper.
Ravi Bishnoi picked up the big wickets of Rohit Sharma and Surya Kumar Yadav in successive deliveries in the last match. Overall in this tournament, he has picked up 9 wickets in 6 matches. You can take a risk and pick him as your fantasy team skipper.
Player you should avoid:
Eoin Morgan averages 11.88 with the bat in this IPL. Considering his present form, it’s better to avoid him while making your fantasy teams.
