IPL 2016, Match 32 Preview (KKR vs KXIP): The Kings hope to ride past the Knights

The Kings XI Punjab (finally) registered their second victory in the IPL 2016 against the Gujarat Lions. They will now face off against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The Kings XI might have found their right opening combination in the form of Murali Vijay and Marcus Stoinis, scoring 65 runs for the opening wicket in just 6 overs against the Gujarat Lions in their previous match. Immediately after Murali Vijay was made the captain, the Kings XI got the right result.They will be hoping for more of the same against the Knight Riders.

The Kolkata Knight Riders got a comprehensive victory against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, chasing a target of 186 with 5 balls to spare. The Knight Riders have been in sizzling form this season and have almost booked their place in the playoffs.The all-rounders in the form of Andre Russell, Yusuf Pathan, and Piyush Chawla, have put Kolkata in a very comfortable position with 6 games to go.

The pitch at the Eden Gardens has been a free-flowing batting wicket with a lot of turn for spinners. The last time the Knight Riders played on this wicket, a target of 188 set by Kolkata was chased with ease by the Mumbai Indians.

Match Date and Time: 4 May 2016, 2000 hrs ISTMatch Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

Weather:

Temperature: Max 34°C, Min 28°CHumidity: Max 65%Wind: 15 km per hour

Pitch Report: Par-score 180. The team batting second will enjoy the ball coming on to the bat and will certainly make the target easier to achieve.

In-Depth Analysis:

The Kolkata Knight Riders have orchestrated their run-chases beautifully this season, credit to the opening pair of Gautham Gambhir and Robin Uthappa for laying out the groundwork for their explosive middle order. Skipper Gautham Gambhir has gathered a total of 339 runs in 8 innings this season for the Knight Riders with a high score of an unbeaten 90.

The middle order consisting of players like Yusuf Pathan, Andre Russell, Suryakumar Yadav who have been performing to the best of their abilities for the Knight Riders. Even when they got off to a poor start against the Royal Challengers, the middle order stepped up and made sure that the Knight Riders cruise to a comfortable victory. Yusuf Pathan seems to have found his form, scoring 60 runs in just 29 deliveries against the Royal Challengers.

The inclusion of Morne Morkel has been a huge plus for the Knight Riders as the South African has been in complete control with the new ball. The Caribbean all-rounder Andre Russell has been superb in leading the bowling attack for the Knight Riders and he has picked up 9 wickets in 8 matches played so far in this season. With leg spinners Piyush Chawla and Brad Hogg leading the spin attack for the Knight Riders, the Punjab batsmen have to be on top of their game.

The Kings XI got a much-needed victory against the table toppers Gujarat Lions and that will certainly give them the confidence to give a good fight to the Knight Riders. With Murali Vijay taking the responsibility of providing a good start to the Kings XI, players like David Miller and Glenn Maxwell will have to do better in the mid overs.

The Kings XI have lost their most consistent Australian Shaun Marsh to a lower back injury and it will be hard for them to fill the shoes of the number 3 batsmen. They could promote Wriddhiman Saha to bat at the number 3 position and bring in Farhaan Behardien to bat at the lower middle order.

The latest player to put his name on the list of hat-trick takers, Axar Patel has been terrific for the Kings XI with his left arm orthodox spin and will be the key player for the Kings XI. The left arm spinner can also whack a few deliveries out of the stadium batting in the lower middle order.

Just when the Kings XI got some relief with a win, they lose their number 3 batsmen in Shaun Marsh. The Kings XI will be fired up to register their third victory this season and they will have to pull off something remarkable against the mighty Knight Riders.