KKR vs PBKS: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Predicted Playing XI Against Punjab Kings (PBKS)- IPL 2021 Match 45

KKR vs PBKS: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Predicted Playing XI Against Punjab Kings (PBKS)- IPL 2021 Match 45. Kolkata Knight Riders have impressed one and all with the kind of intent they have shown in the second leg of IPL 2021. The aggressive approach in the batting coupled with the inclusion of Venkatesh Iyer and Lockie Ferguson has led to a complete turnaround in their fortunes. KKR have played four games in UAE and have managed to win three out of them.

And, as a result of that, they are currently sitting at fourth position on the points table with 4 wins in 11 matches. Having said that, KKR still need to win all their three remaining matches to seal their playoff berth. Kolkata Knight Riders would be high on confidence after beating Delhi Capitals in their last game. They are set to play their next game against Delhi Capitals on Friday. In this article, we look at KKR’s predicted playing XI for Friday’s match.

RR vs RCB: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Predicted Playing XI Against Punjab Kings (PBKS)- IPL 2021 Match 45

Openers: Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer

Runs coming from the openers is one of the biggest boosts for KKR in the second leg of IPL 2021. Both Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer have played with an aggressive mindset and have given the team solid starts in the powerplay overs.

Venkatesh Iyer showed his all-round prowess in the last game against Delhi Capitals. For the first time, he bowled medium-pace and went on to pick 2 wickets in 4 overs.

Middle-order: Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan and Dinesh Karthik

Rahul Tripathi has shown great form in the second leg of IPL 2021. He played a sensational knock of 74 runs off 42 balls against Mumbai. Nitish Rana played a match-winning 36-run knock off 27 balls against Delhi Capitals. These are all ominous signs for KKR.

However, there has been little contribution beyond the top four. Eoin Morgan is in horrendous form. The slow and two-paced wickets in UAE hasn’t served Morgan really well. In 11 matches, he has only managed to score 107 runs at an average of 11.88. Besides, Dinesh Karthik too needs to step up to the plate as well ahead of the three must-win games for KKR.

All-rounders: Shakib Al-Hasan, Sunil Narine

Andre Russell didn’t play the last game due to injury. He is unlikely to be available in the next game as well. In his absence, Shakib Al-Hasan would be the best bet. On slow surfaces of UAE, he should be the one to go for. Besides, he provides stability in the batting order. Sunil Narine is doing a great job with the ball. He has kept the batsmen quiet with his array of variations and has picked wickets consistently.

Bowlers: Tim Southee, Prasidh Krishna and Varun Chakravarthy

Tim Southee played his first game of IPL 2021 against Delhi on Tuesday. He finished with figures of 1 for 29 in 4 overs. He is likely to be persisted in the eleven, given that Ferguson would be out of the side due to injury. Prasidh Krishna conceded 2 fours and 2 sixes in the penultimate over against CSK.

As a result of that, he missed out on the last game. Against Punjab, the management is likely to bring him back in the eleven. Varun Chakravarthy has continued to be effective with his variations. In 11 games, he has picked 11 wickets at an economy of less than 7.