Resurgent Kings XI Punjab run into determined Kolkata Knight Riders in crucial contest

Sharjah, 26 Oct (ISF Team): The deciding week of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to kick-off on Monday with a high-octane clash lined up between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) at Sharjah.

KXIP comes into the game with a win of great magnitude against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) which should boost the morale of any side. They managed to defend the lowest score in the competition, thus far.

The KL Rahul led-side have won their last four games in the tournament and bounced back in contention for a last-four berth.

Fans have a feeling that the Priety Zinta co-owned franchise has peaked just at the nick of the time as they target a fourth place in the Playoffs.

At one point in time, KXIP had lost six games in a row and had only one win to show for. To come back and win four in a row displays the mental strength of the side.

KXIP are currently placed fifth in the points table, with 10 points and three games in hand. KKR, on the other hand, have consolidated their fourth position on the table with the recent win over Delhi Capitals (DC).

They have 12 points in the bag with three games in hand. The Shah Rukh Khan-owned teams have won only two out of their last five games in the tournament.

After the win, KKR skipper Eoin Morgan heaped praises on Nitish Rana and Sunil Narine, who stitched a match-winning partnership of 115 runs.

Morgan reckoned that Narine has been an integral part of the franchise and KKR is fortunate to retain his services at the business end of the tournament. Rana is most likely to open the batting again for the team.

Dry spells with the bat for Shubman Gill and Dinesh Karthik remain a cause of concern for Brendon McCullum and Co.

All in all, a nail-biting contest is in the offing, with two crucial points up for grabs. Crucial for KXIP to stay in contention and for KKR to walk into the top four with 14 points.

Predicted XI:

KKR:

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

KXIP:

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