5 days into the IPL 2022 season, we have already been treated to some swashbuckling performances. The 8th match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings will be played at the Wankhede Stadium. It will begin at 7:30 PM IST and live-streamed across the Star network in India.

Both KKR and PBKS have gone through an extreme transformation at the Auction table. While Punjab no longer has KL Rahul, the Knight Riders are without the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Shubhman Gill. Till now, KKR has played 2 matches with a loss and a win each.

On the other hand, PBKS have seen themselves playing only one game that they won handsomely against RCB.

Here’s all you need to know about KKR vs PBKS, the 8th match of TATA IPL 2022.

KKR vs PBKS Fun Facts

  • Both teams played their last game against RCB.
  • Ironically, Shahrukh Khan (PBKS) will be up against Shah Rukh Khan’s KKR.

KKR’s Previous Match

The Kolkata Knight Riders took on the Royal Challengers Bangalore on 30th March in their 2nd encounter of the season. They brought Tim Southee in place of Shivam Mavi to target the RCB top order.

Being asked to bat first, KKR struggled to put up a decent show and lost wickets consistently. They were 8 down for 99 in 14 overs but managed to finish with 128 runs courtesy of Umesh Yadav’s late fireworks.

None of the KKR batsmen could score freely. Topping the batter’s chart, Andre Russell clubbed 25 (18), including 3 sixes and a boundary.

Defending such a small total was always going to be challenging, especially when the opposition team has players like Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli. However, with a stupendous bowling unit, KKR fought back vigorously and restricted RCB to 17-3 in the 3rd over.

The game went to the wire, but eventually, the Bangalore team came on top in the final over and won by 3 wickets. Umesh Yadav had a dream spell giving away only 16 runs and taking 2 wickets. You can read the full match summary here.

The only change KKR made seemed to work in their favor as Tim Southee bagged 3 wickets for 20 runs in his quota of 4 overs.

Moreover, Sunil Narine was at his best. The Caribbean off-spinner took 1 wicket and gave away only 12 runs in his spell. He had an immense contribution in stretching the game till the final over.

What will worry KKR more?

After their first game against CSK, the Knight Riders looked like a compact unit with both the batting and the bowling departments delivering collectively. However, things took a drastic turn when they went to bat against RCB in their previous match.

First things first, Venkatesh Iyer’s form is a thing to contemplate for the KKR. Despite these being early days, the opener needs to, at least, middle a few balls before trying to go for an all-out attack. His underperformance puts pressure on Rahane, who is a calm customer otherwise.

KKR have played two matches till now, and their bowling has lived up to the expectations. They can only hope to have their batsmen firing against PBKS. Apart from Venkatesh, they will want Sheldon Jackson, their wicketkeeper, to get some runs.

Moreover, judging on the basis of the KKR vs RCB game, Nitish Rana seems to be in a hurry. From the very first ball, he started hitting and lost his wicket while pulling Akash Deep. He scored 10 (5) with a six and a boundary. 

The left-hander needs to play with more game awareness. When you are already 2 down within 30 runs, the team expects you to play deep and not get out playing a rash shot.

The rest of the things look good for KKR. All they need is another collective performance. Let’s move on to analyze the Punjab Kings’ prospects.

PBKS Previous Match

Punjab began their IPL 2022 journey on a positive note with a fantabulous victory over RCB. With Mayank Agarwal winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, PBKS bowlers started well, giving away only 50 runs in the first seven overs.

However, the tides soon turned and barring Rahul Chahar and Arshdeep Singh, no one could contain the flow of runs, let alone the talk of taking wickets. Odean Smith went for 52 runs in his 4 overs, and Sandeep Sharma gave away runs at above 9 runs an over.

RCB put up a mammoth target of 206 runs for the Punjab team, which was any day going to be a tough nut to crack. However, Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal gave a great start, scoring 70 runs in the first 7 overs. 

All their batters rose to the occasion and contributed handsomely to the team’s needs. Their top 3 batsmen crossed the 30-run mark while two of them scored above 40. A brilliant cameo from Odean Smith (25 off 8) at number 7 sealed the deal as PBKS beat RCB by 5 wickets.

PBKS were fueled by the powerhouse performance from the Sri Lankan debutant, Bhanuka Rajapaksa. He smashed 4 sixes and 2 fours to hit 43 runs off 22 balls.

What will worry PBKS more?

The Punjab Kings have a well-settled batting lineup with Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal at the helm of things in the beginning. However, their bowlers let them down in the first game. It could be due to the pitch that no one found the right length to ball.

Even though they went for too many runs, Harpreet Brar and Sandeep Sharma are good bowlers. PBKS wouldn’t want to replace them, given this is just the second match. But I have a strong feeling that their chances are limited because Kagiso Rabada will soon join the team.

Where are they in the Points Table?

PBKS are at number three in the points table, while KKR are in the 5th position. 

Positives and Negatives for KKR

The Positives for KKR

  • They have a sublime bowling attack, possibly the best in this season.
  • Umesh Yadav is having a great time with the ball. In eight overs, the pacer has given only 36 runs picking 4 wickets in the process.
  • Andre Russell is back among the runs. He hit some huge sixes in the match against RCB.

The Negatives for KKR

  • KKR has an impatient top order, where everybody barring Ajinkya Rahane, is looking to go for the maximum without settling at the crease. Nitish Rana and Venkatesh Iyer need to pace the innings before breaking the shackles.
  • It will be a big match for Varun Chakravarthy, who went for runs against RCB. KKR would want him to pick wickets at regular intervals.
  • Andre Russell’s bowling form is a huge worry for KKR. He went for 36 in 2.2 overs in the previous match. Against CSK, the West Indian went for 38 in his 4 overs. And this is despite the fact that both games were low-scoring. Shreyas Iyer might want to split his overs with Venkatesh Iyer or Nitish Rana.

Positives and Negatives for PBKS

The Positives for PBKS

  • Both their openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal, are in good form.
  • Rahul Chahar did a great job against RCB, giving only 22 runs and picking a wicket in his quota of 4 overs.
  • Newcomers like Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Odean Smith, and Liam Livingstone are going all guns blazing, strengthening the Punjab middle-order.

The Negatives for PBKS

  • Their bowling attack is a bit rusty.

KKR vs PBKS Predicted Playing XI

KKR Predicted Playing XI against PBKS

  1. Rahane
  2. V. Iyer
  3. Nitish Rana
  4. Shreyas Iyer
  5. Sam Billings
  6. Sheldon Jackson
  7. Andre Russell
  8. Sunil Narine
  9. Umesh Yadav
  10. Tim Southee
  11. V. Chakravarthy

PBKS Predicted Playing XI against KKR

  1. S. Dhawan
  2. Mayank Agarwal
  3. Bhanuka Rajapaksa
  4. Liam Livingstone
  5. Raj Bawa
  6. Shahrukh Khan
  7. Odean Smith
  8. Arshdeep Singh
  9. Harpreet Brar
  10. Kagiso Rabada
  11. Rahul Chahar

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