IPL 2020 Match 46 KKR v MI Betting Preview

Match Details
Kolkata Knight Riders v Kings XI Punjab
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
Monday, October 26th, 2020
16:00 SA Time

IPL 2020: Match 46 – Kolkata Knight Riders v Kings XI Punjab Preview, Prediction, Probable Playing XI and Value bets.

Betting Preview

It’s the 46th game of the 2020 edition of the IPL but it is a huge one in the context of the playoffs as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) collide against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). Both teams are coming on the back of morale-boosting wins.

Kolkata Knight Riders came back well after the RCB thrashing, they beat Delhi Capitals to somewhat get their 2020 season back on track. Sunil Narine’s addition added that edge both with bat and ball. KKR might worry about Shubman Gill’s form at the top as he hasn’t scored a lot of recently. The bowling have become a lot more consistent. Lockie Ferguson and Pat Cummins form a good pace duo with a couple of young Indian pacers alongside mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy who has impressed. However, KKR needs to carry this momentum forward and go for the kill but that has been their issue throughout this season.

On the other hand, Kings XI Punjab have found a new life in this tournament. Post the halfway mark where they had lost six out of their seven games, they looked dead and buried, just like their game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, they have come out all guns blazing and are finding ways to win. The KL Rahul-led side have now won four games in a row. They have beaten each of the top three teams and SRH in their last four games and are looking like a force to reckon with.

A win for KKR will ensure they take a four-point lead between them and the bottom four. Meanwhile, a win for KXIP might open the tournament even more as they will be tied on points with KKR (12 points). Thus, a massive game on the cards here.

Injury and Availability News

Andre Russell suffered a hamstring injury a couple of games ago and has missed the subsequent games. He might miss this game as well. Meanwhile, Mayank Agarwal missed the last KIXP game after he was injured in the game against Delhi. His availability might not be certain either.

Probable Playing XI

Kolkata Knight Riders

Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy

Kings XI Punjab

KL Rahul (c & wk), Mayank Agarwal/Mandeep Singh, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Deepak Hooda, Murugan Ashwin, Chris Jordan, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh

Key Players to watch out for

Chris Gayle: The Universe Boss has looked good in each of the four games that he has batted so far. He may have made only 126 runs but Gayle seems to be striking the ball well. He has hit 10 sixes as well. Moreover, Gayle has a very good record against KKR – 649 runs at an average of 46.36 and a strike-rate of 150.58.

Eoin Morgan: The KKR skipper has moved around the batting order for KKR. Yet, Morgan has found a way to score runs and has made 295 runs. He is a big boundary hitter and has the most number of sixes for KKR this season (22 sixes). The left-handed middle-order batsman could be a vital player for KKR in this last leg of the IPL.

Sunil Narine: The mystery-spinning all-rounder from West Indies returned with a bang. Narine was out of action for four games but returned with a brilliant 64 with the bat. He came in to bat at No. 5 and delivered when KKR were under pressure. He adds some teeth to the bowling attack as well.

Value Betting

Kolkata Knight Riders

Shubman Gill to be KKR’s top batsman at 3.00.

Pat Cummins to be KKR’s top bowler at 2.75.

Kings XI Punjab

KL Rahul to be KXIP’s top batsman at 1.75.

Mohammed Shami to be KXIP’s top bowler at 1.75.

Prediction: Kolkata Knight Riders to win at 0.68.