Kolkata Knight Riders will play their first home game of IPL 2017, against Kings XI Punjab at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday. KKR are set to miss Chris Lynn, but they have the ammunition to deliver and entertain the home crowd.
KKR have always been a dominant side in the IPL at Eden Gardens, and with the massive crowd in Kolkata supporting the team, their players shine in the competition.
However, KKR have to be careful when they come against a quality and a confident team like Kings XI Punjab, who are searching for their third straight win.
Though KKR have collected two points from two matches, they could have been on same points as KXIP, had they held their nerves in the final overs of the game against Mumbai Indians. Else, they have played some good cricket in the competition and their match against Kings XI Punjab could be a cracker.
In Lynn's absence, Kolkata Knight Riders will open the innings with Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa. The duo has a great understanding between themselves, which will help them when they walk into bat, but they will miss the explosive batting of Lynn at the top. They are both solid players, who play some classic shots to score runs, provide a base for their middle order too. Once they get their eye in, they could trouble Kings XI Punjab bowlers.
Hence, KXIP captain will look for his seamer Sandeep Sharma to use that new ball to his advantage and dismiss the openers early. Along with Sharma, Mohit Sharma also has to be tight at the other end.
However, it is KXIP batting line-up, which looks extremely strong with three quality foreign batsmen including Maxwell, Hashim Amla and David Miller. Throw hard-hitting Marcus Stoinis into the mix, they look formidable.
Maxwell has been the best batsmen for the Kings XI Punjab so far, scoring 44 and 43 runs in his two innings, and is yet to be dismissed in IPL 2017. With KKR having a good mix of spinners and fast bowlers including Umesh Yadav, Trent Boult, Sunil Narine, Maxwell and the other KXIP batsmen need to be on top of their toes to score runs and help beat KKR.
Where to watch live
KKR vs KXIP is set to begin at 8pm IST (3.30pm BST). TV and live streaming information is below.
India: TV: Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD, Sony Max. Live Streaming: Hotstar.
UK: TV: Sky Sports 2. Live Streaming: Watch Sky Sports.
USA: TV: Willow TV. Live Streaming: Willow TV Online.
Middle East: TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD. Live Streaming: OSN Play.
South Africa: TV: SuperSport Two. Live Streaming: SuperSport Live Video.
Afghanistan: TV: Lemar TV
Bangladesh: TV: Bong BD.
Hong Kong: TV: Now TV.
International: Live Streaming: Cricketgateway.
