IPL MATCH PREDICTION: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings
On April 1, the Kolkata Knight Riders will face the Punjab Kings in the eighth match of the IPL 2022 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In this match, KKR will be anxious to get back on track. After a strong start to the season with a six-wicket triumph against the defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the opener, the two-time champions were defeated by the Royal Challengers Bangalore by three wickets in the final over.
The Punjab Kings, on the other hand, will be optimistic following a morale-boosting five-wicket victory over RCB in their season opener last weekend. Bangalore had set a tough target of 205/2, thanks to a magnificent 88 from skipper Faf du Plessis and a crucial 29-ball 41 from Virat Kohli, but the PBKS batters overcame the enormous total and added their first points of the season. Punjab will now be aiming for their second consecutive victory.
Match details
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, 8th match of IPL 2022
Date & time: 1st April, 2022, 7:30PM IST
Venue: Wahkhede Stadium, Mumbai
Pitch report
The Wankhede track is ideal for batting, so expect a run-fest once the hitters are settled at the crease. The teams batting first in the last two matches of this competition were unable to put up a difficult total on the board, which never proved to be enough when defending. While teams do not hesitate to bat first in afternoon games, this is not the case in evening games due to the presence of the dew factor at this site. As a result, the captain who wins the toss chooses to bowl first.
As to weather, the cricketing conditions in Mumbai are ideal. The weather is a little muggy, but no rain is forecast. With a considerable amount of bounce and carry, the pitch will be ideal for batting. Chasing is a huge advantage since the dew helps the ball come on and makes it tough for the bowlers to grip it.
Playing XI
KKR
Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer (c), Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson (wk), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy
PBKS
Mayank Agarwal (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Raj Bawa, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Sandeep Sharma, Rahul Chahar
Toss winner: KKR
Match winner: PBKS
Note* This prediction is based on the site administrators' knowledge, analysis, and intuition. Consider the information provided and make your own judgement when making your prediction.
