David Miller, KXIP, RPS, IPL, predictions
David Miller will hope for liftoff in his first match of IPL 2017IANS

Kings XI Punjab will target a fresh and, more importantly, positive start as they begin their IPL 2017 campaign in Indore with a home match against the Rising Pune Supergiant on Saturday.

RPS will be buoyant after their victory over the Mumbai Indians and with the form that Steve Smith is in, they will start this game as the favourites.

But then, KXIP are used to the underdogs tag, so they will hope to be one of the teams in IPL 2017 that slips under the radar.

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Here is a prediction of how this match could go.

If Kings XI Punjab bat first:

Hard to predict who will open the innings with Manan Vohra, but let's go with Shaun Marsh, who makes a really strong start, with KXIP getting to 48 in the first five overs.

Then, in the final over of the Powerplay, Vohra falls to Ben Stokes, with Glenn Maxwell coming in at No.3.

The two Australians get in the groove immediately and Kings XI are in a strong position at the halfway stage. That strong position remains, even after Marsh is dismissed, with Maxwell looking determined to play a captain's innings and David Miller coming in and showing his form of old.

With Marcus Stoinis scoring a quickfire 25 at the end as well, KXIP are able to post 194 in their first innings.

Now that is a difficult target to chase, but RPS do have the batting strength to get there. Ajinkya Rahane, though, falls early to Sandeep Sharma, while Mayank Agarwal has another failure.

Ajinkya Rahane, RPS, KXIP, Mumbai Indians, IPL 2017
Ajinkya Rahane will want to carry forward his form from the first gameIANS

That leaves RPS on 32/2, with less than an over remaining in the Powerplay. As the required run rate increases, someone needs to put their foot on the accelerator and that man is Ben Stokes, who finds his attacking mojo, smashing sixes and fours at will to give RPS the momentum in the chase.

Smith joins in, before falling for 45. But Stokes is unmoved and with MS Dhoni coming in and playing smart cricket at the other end, RPS get home in the final over.

If RPS bat first:

Rahane and Agarwal add 46 runs for the first wicket, before the latter falls. The India opener and Smith then put on a partnership of 35, with Rahane picked up by Axar Patel. Smith is also dismissed a little while later, leaving Stokes and Dhoni to do the bulk of the scoring if their bowlers are to be given a total they can defend.

Dhoni and Stokes do just that, putting on a brilliant unbeaten partnership to take RPS to 172.

The Rising Pune Supergiant's weakness is bowling, and while they do have Imran Tahir and Adam Zampa, too many runs are leaked in the Powerplay overs. That start sets KXIP on their way, with Marsh, Maxwell, Miller and Wriddhiman Saha all contributing nicely to the chase, with Stoinis hitting the winning runs in the 19th over.