Match 8 Prediction, KKR vs PBKS: On April 1, the Kolkata Knight Riders will face the Punjab Kings in the eighth match of the IPL 2022 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. In this game, KKR will be desperate to get back to winning ways. After beginning their campaign with a six-wicket win over the defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the opener, the two-time champions were defeated by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final over.
The Punjab Kings, on the other hand, will be buoyed by their season-opening five-wicket win over RCB last weekend. Bangalore had posted a stiff 205/2 on the back of a superb 88 from skipper Faf du Plessis and a crucial 29-ball 41 from Virat Kohli, but the PBKS batters put up an excellent performance to overhaul the massive total and add their first points of the season. Punjab would now be looking for their second straight victory.
Match Details
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, Match 8, IPL 2022
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Date & Time: April 1, 7:30 PM IST
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network for Television and Disney + Hotstar app for live streaming.
Match 8 KKR vs PBKS Pitch Report
The Wankhede pitch is ideal for batting, and a run-fest can be expected once the batters are settled at the crease. The teams batting first in the last two matches in this tournament were unable to post a challenging total on the board, which eventually proved insufficient while defending. While teams do not hesitate to bat first during afternoon games, this is not the case during evening games due to the presence of dew at this venue. As a result, the captain who wins the toss should choose to bowl first.
Probable Playing XIs for Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings
Kolkata Knight Riders
Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer (c), Sam Billings, Sheldon Jackson (wk), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy
Punjab Kings
Mayank Agarwal (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Bhanuka Rajapaksa (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Odean Smith, Raj Bawa, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Sandeep Sharma, Rahul Chahar
Shikhar Dhawan is a likely top performer.
Shikhar Dhawan showed a lot of promise in his first appearance for Punjab against RCB last weekend. At a strike rate of 148.3, he scored 43 runs off 29 deliveries, including five fours and a six. The southpaw also shared a 71-run opening stand with captain Mayank Agarwal. The duo will be expected to come out with all guns blazing against the Kolkata-based franchise, but more importantly, all eyes will be on Dhawan, who will be hoping to score big this time around.
Probable best bowler of the match: Umesh Yadav
Umesh Yadav is the match’s most likely best bowler.
In the last two games, Umesh Yadav has been crucial with the new ball in hand. So far, the senior fast bowler has four scalps to his name while also being very economical. During KKR’s previous match against RCB, the Vidharbha pacer picked up key wickets of opener Anuj Rawat and Virat Kohli and did his best to keep the former champions in the game as they defended a low total of 128. When Kolkata meets their 2014 final opponents on April 1, Yadav will be looking for more wickets. At the same time, he would be hoping to leave an impression at the funeral.
Match 8 Prediction, KKR vs PBKS: Kolkata to win the match.
Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.
