IPL 2022 KKR vs Punjab Kings match: 6 players to watch out for today

The IPL 2022 tournament is down to its eighth match, where Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) face Punjab Kings (PK). Shreyas Iyer’s KKR, that lost the last match to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), will be out to regain its winning momentum. Punjab Kings, on the other hand, are riding high on the success of their previous match where they chased down a target of 205 defeating RCB by 5 wickets.

The two teams have played 29 matches so far. KKR have won 19 matches, while Punjab Kings have won 10. But the contest today would be different altogether because the teams are completely changed. Shreyas Iyer, who was with Delhi Capitals for the past two years, is now leading KKR. Mayank Agarwal, who was with Punjab, is leading the team for the first time after KL Rahul left the team this year.

The battle is going to be a close one, because both the teams will try hard to add two points to their kitty. Here are six players to watch out for today:

LIAM LIVINGSTONE, PK

The right-handed batter was roped in by Punjab Kings at Rs 11.5 crore. The England batter made his IPL debut in 2019 and played with Rajasthan Royals for the first two years. Livingstone, however, in the previous match, could score only 19 off 10 balls he faced. In fact, his last 10 IPL innings also have low scores.

Livingstone is an explosive batter in the shorter formats. His previous knocks in the T10 League in Abu Dhabi a few months ago, and even his performance in 2021 against Pakistan where he scored 100 off just 42 balls, are memorable. It will be interesting to see at which position he bats for Punjab today. If Livingstone gets it right, then it would surely come across as trouble for the KKR bowlers.

ANDRE RUSSELL, KKR

Andre Russell is the trump card of the KKR. The Caribbean hitter’s hitting prowess is enough to unsettle the bowlers. In the previous match against RCB, Russell scored 25 off just 18 balls, where he hit three sixes and one boundary.

Russell comes handy in the death overs where the ball gets old and bowlers find it difficult to swing the ball. In that case, the spinners are brought into the game and Russell plays spin equally well. In fact, he plays spinners well than seamers. He is probably KKR’s answer to Liam Livingstone of Punjab. It would be interesting to see how the two players fare in today’s game.

BHANUKA RAJAPAKSA, PK

The Sri Lankan left-hand batter can be the next big thing for Punjab Kings. Rajapaksa in the previous match against RCB scored 43 off just 22 balls, where he hit four sixes and two fours. Rajapaksa was purchased by Punjab for Rs 50 lakh at the auctions.

He hasn’t played for any IPL team till now and Punjab is his first team. In the shorter format, Rajapaksa can be an effective asset for the team as he plays an attacking game.

UMESH YADAV, KKR

Umesh Yadav has been in a tremendous form in this season. In the last two matches that he has played, he took 4 wickets and his economy has been below 5. The right arm pacer has emerged as a vital player for KKR this season.

Yadav’s prime skill is his ability to swing the ball both ways. With the new ball, Yadav, who often bowls above 140 kmph, can be dangerous for the batter. It will be interesting to see how he bowls against the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Liam Livingstone.

SUNIL NARINE, KKR

Sunil Narine’s biggest advantage is his ability to keep the economy rate under control. In the previous match against the RCB, Narine took 1 wicket and kept the economy below 4 in the three overs he bowled. Even in the match against Chennai Super Kings, Narine though couldn’t take any wicket but in the four overs he bowled, he conceded just 15 runs.

His magic carrom balls make it difficult for the batters to go for big hits. Plus, his batting skills saw a huge upscaling in the last few years. He has also opened the innings for KKR in the many matches he has played. From a right-arm off-spinner, Narine has emerged as a comprehensive all-rounder for KKR.

RAHUL CHAHAR, PK

If KKR has the skill of Sunil Narine, Punjab has the leg-break googly bowler Rahul Chahar. Chahar was taken by Punjab at Rs 5.25 crore. He is also the only bowler from the last match who wasn’t smashed by the RCB batters. In the four overs that he bowled, Chahar conceded only 22 runs and took one wicket. His economy rate was 5.75, which is amazing for a bowler in T-20 cricket. Chahar would definitely be utilised by Mayank Agarwal to halt Russell and Shreyas Iyer.

The match between KKR and Punjab Kings kicks off at 7.30 pm on April 1, 2022, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.