In the 24th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, the bottom-placed Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) locking horns with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. KKR made a strong comeback when they defeated CSK earlier in the week. Despite their big guns Eoin Morgan, Shubman Gill, and Andre Russell not able to get going with the bat, Knight Riders found anew hero in Rahul Tripathi.
With three wins in five matches, KKR has managed to keep their hopes alive for a top-four finish although their team hasn’t completely fired as a unit. With momentum in their favor, KKR is the favorites heading into this game. On the other hand, KXIP has been going through a woeful run of form in IPL 2020. Although the likes of KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran have done the damage with the bat, their bowlers have failed to deliver when it mattered the most.
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The head-to-head record narrows the odds for KXIP further with KKR winning 17 games to KXIP’s eight. Both IPL 2019 fixtures between the two sides saw KKR coming on top, which adds another layer of intrigue to what should be a fascinating contest between the two teams.
As the two sides prepare for a thrilling encounter, here’s a look at three key player battles to keep an eye on.
#1. KL Rahul vs Pat Cummins
KL Rahul is the leading run-scorer of IPL 2020 with a tally of 313 runs in 6 matches at a strike rate of just under 137. He has already recorded a century and two fifties in the tournament. The KXIP would be looking for a flying start in the power-play against KKR.
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But it will not be easy against the Australian pacer, Pat Cummins. Regarded as one of the best fast bowlers in the modern-day cricket, Cummins hasn’t had the best outing so far in this year’s IPL as he has managed to scalp just 2 wickets in 5 matches at an economy rate of 8.61. He would be looking to make an impact in the second half of the tournament.
#2. Andre Russell vs Mohammed Shami
Andre Russell has always been known as one of the most batsmen in the history of the IPL as he has maintained the strike rate of 184.01 which is the best in the tournament’s history. He has been out of form in this edition so far with the bat and thus would be raring to go and make get back to his ferocious best. To counter him at the death, Mohammed Shami would be the best bowler for KXIP. The Indian speedster has picked 9 wickets in 6 matches at a strike rate of 15.1 and an economy rate of 8.51.
#3. Sunil Narine vs Glenn Maxwell
This could be a fascinating battle in the middle overs when these two world-class will be facing other as both of them are in search of some form in the IPL 2020. Sunil Narine is the leading wicket-taker for KKR in the IPL with 125 scalps in 114 games so far. He is the third most economical spinner in the history of the tournament with an economy rate of just 6.74! But Narine is terribly out of form.
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On the other hand, Glenn Maxwell only had success in IPL when KXIP reached the final in 2014, and that year as well, the tournament took place in the UAE. IN 2014, Glenn Maxwell has scored 552 runs in 16 games at a strike-rate of 187.75
