In match number 53 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, two times IPL winners, Kolkata Knight Riders, lock horns with Punjab Kings in a reverse fixture at the Eden Garden Cricket Stadium in Kolkata on May 8, 2023, Monday. Punjab Kings, who are seventh in the points table, are heading into the clash on the back of a loss against the Mumbai Indians (MI). They will be looking to bounce back and register a win in order to keep themselves alive in the race for the playoffs. The match against Mumbai saw Punjab batting first and posting a mammoth total of 214 on account of Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma’s brilliant knock of 82 and 49 respectively. With 214 runs on board, Punjab bowlers tried really hard to stop Mumbai batters but Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav’s exemplary knocks of 75 and 66 respectively took the game away from Punjab. Despite the loss, Punjab still have a chance to qualify for the IPL playoffs as there are still a lot more games to be played. Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly Handshake Video Goes Viral After DC vs RCB IPL 2023 Match, Watch!.
Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, are trying hard to revive their 2023 IPL campaign. The Nitish Rana-led unit has registered four wins and six losses out of the 10 games played and is currently placed in the eighth spot with eight points. Kolkata recently bounced back to winning ways when they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad to secure their fourth win of the season. Batting first, Kolkata lost many wickets but vital knocks from Rinku Singh and Nitish Rana saw the side posting a healthy total of 171. Defending 172, Kolkata bowlers did well to restrict Hyderabad to just 166. Kolkata in their next game will be aiming for a win and get back in the contention for top-four finish.
Kolkata Weather Report
The good news is that you can catch Nitish Rana and his teammates in action in tomorrow’s game. There is zero per cent chance of rain. The weather forecast for the IPL match between KKR and PBKS is good with the temperature expected to be around 30-33 degrees Celsius with clear skies all around.
Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium Pitch Report
The pitch for the IPL game between Kolkata and Punjab is expected to favour the batters like always. It was witnessed during the games against Gujarat Titans wherein Kolkata batted first and posted 179 and Gujarat chased down the target easily in the second innings. As time progresses, the surface gets easier to bat on. Hence, teams chasing or batting in the second innings will be at an advantage.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 07, 2023 02:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).