Kings to take on Knight Riders

Kings XI Punjab will come up against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Match 49 of IPL 2017 at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali later today. KXIP have a 5-6 win-loss record this season. They have not won more than two matches in a row this season, and the time has now come for them to better that performance. They need to win their remaining three matches if they hope to stay in the hunt for the playoffs. In their most-recent match, KXIP, despite posting 189 batting first, lost to the Gujarat Lions; Glenn Maxwell’s boys were sloppy on the field and showed lack of match-awareness. KXIP will have to fill a huge void in their XI, with Hashim Amla parting ways with the team to join up with the South African national team. Amla is KXIP’s leading run-getter and his absence could mean the team could revert to using Manan Vohra as opener. The Kolkata Knight Riders must be riding high on confidence after their demolition of Royal Challengers Bangalore in their previous match. Powered by Sunil Narine’s half-century, the joint-fastest half-century in the IPL, and his rollicking partnership with Chris Lynn, KKR chased down the target of 159 quite comfortably in 15.1 overs. KKR have one foot in the door for the playoffs, and the focus will now shift to confirming that playoff berth and also look to finishing the regular league season among the top two teams.