KXIP hope to get back to winning ways v KKR

Kings XI Punjab players celebrate the wicket of Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Jonny Bairstow at Dubai on Thursday. PIC: BCCI/IPL

Kings XI Punjab will have to play out of their skins to get their stuttering campaign back on track when they face fancied Kolkata Knight Riders here today. Smarting from a 69-run drubbing at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad, it will not be an easy task for a struggling KXIP side to stand up to the challenge thrown by an all-round KKR team, which is a fine blend of youth and experience. Following five losses and a solitary win, Kings XI Punjab are currently placed at the bottom of the table with two points, whereas the Knight Riders are fourth with six points from three wins.

Notwithstanding a couple of reverses, KKR are gradually emerging as a strong contender for a third IPL title, with many of their players striking form as the tournament approaches the half-way stage.

Kings XI Punjab will again rely on their trusted opening pair of captain KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. If Chris Gayle recovers from his food poisoning, he will make his first appearance in the ongoing IPL and that will be a huge boost for KXIP. The mis-firing Glenn Maxwell is likely to make way for Gayle.

Nicholas Pooran's exploits with the bat is a positive for KXIP and he will again look to play his shots freely. Death bowling is a major concern for KXIP and they would need to get it right against a strong KKR batting line-up. Shubman Gill has already created an impression as an opener and now KKR have found another option at the top in Rahul Tripathi, who will enter the game with some confidence after his swashbuckling innings of 81 against Chennai Super Kings two days ago.

After a string of poor scores that led to him being replaced by Tripathi at the top, Sunil Narine seems to be rediscovering his old touch with both bat and ball, and evidence of that was his outing against CSK.

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