IPL Schedule 2016: Live Stream, TV Info, Upcoming T20 Cricket Fixtures
Kings XI Punjab will look to build on the momentum of their win over Rising Pune Supergiants when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders in Mohali during Tuesday’s Indian Premier League Twenty20 action.
Kolkata have won two of their first three matches and are among the favourites to win this year’s title, while Punjab started the campaign in dreadful form but came away with a shocking six-wicket win over Pune on Sunday.
The Knight Riders bowling has looked superb so far—Kolkata have allowed just one total over 150 in their three matches—so Kings XI will be in for a serious challenge on Tuesday. Here’s a look at the schedule for the upcoming IPL matches:
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
| April 19 | 3:30 p.m/8 p.m. | Kings XI Punjab vs. Kolkata Knight Riders | Mohali |
| April 20 | 3:30 p.m/8 p.m. | Mumbai Indians vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore | Mumbai |
| April 21 | 3:30 p.m/8 p.m. | Gujarat Lions vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad | Rajkot |
| April 22 | 3:30 p.m/8 p.m. | Rising Pune Supergiants vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore | Pune |
| April 23 | 11:30 a.m./4 p.m. | Delhi Daredevils vs. Mumbai Indians | Delhi |
| April 23 | 3:30 p.m/8 p.m. | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs. Kings XI Punjab | Hyderabad |
| April 24 | 11:30 a.m./4 p.m. | Gujarat Lions vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore | Rajkot |
| April 24 | 3:30 p.m/8 p.m. | Rising Pune Supergiants vs. Kolkata Knight Riders | Pune |
Click here for the full tournament schedule. Watch all matches live on Sky Sports and access live stream via Sky Go (U.K. only).
Preview
With the exception of the six-wicket loss against defending champions Mumbai Indians, Kolkata have looked in strong form early in the 2016 IPL season. Wins over Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Daredevils were as easy as they come thanks to some solid efforts with the ball.
Andre Russell has already taken five wickets through three matches, while Umesh Yadav and Brad Hogg have each chipped in three. The return of Sunil Narine will only further boost Kolkata’s prowess with the ball, and his new action didn’t seem to hold him back one bit in the win over Sunrisers.
Writing for the Hindustan Times, star batsman Gautam Gambhir said he came away impressed with his team-mate:
"He may have seemed like a toddler, walking for the first time nervous and unsure, but deep down he is a confident man. He doesn’t say much whether he is at the wicket or playing football on Playstation. For me, his 26-run spell was one of the highlights of our win. The other memory was presented by my Mohawk man Andre Russell. His effort to eject Naman Ojha was inspirational.
"
Gambhir leads the team with 192 runs and a high of 90, and with Robin Uthappa (81 runs) and Manish Pandey (78) also impressive, Kolkata’s batting looks in fine form. Cricket writer Ayaz Memon has liked what he's seen from Gambhir so far:
Russell and Yusuf Pathan haven’t been asked to do too much, but they both can also contribute with the bat when called upon.
For Kings XI, things haven’t gone according to plan so far. The win against Pune should give them some momentum, but entering Tuesday’s action, the team still sits second-to-last in the standings for a reason.
Manan Vohra leads the team with 121 runs, and Murali Vijay has chipped in 96. Outside of those two, Punjab’s lineup has been lacking. Glenn Maxwell and David Miller in particular have disappointed, and that’s a major problem.
The duo powered Punjab’s shock run to the final in 2014—the only time the team made it out of the group stage since 2009—and it’s been clear ever since Kings XI will only go as far as Miller and Maxwell will take them.
So far, the two haven’t been at their best, as evidenced by this stat, courtesy of ESPN Cricinfo:
With the ball, Punjab have looked solid, although Mitchell Johnson is starting to show his age. The 34-year-old Aussie has surrendered 63 runs in seven overs and taken just one wicket, although this run out was a beauty, via the IPL’s official Twitter account:
Consistency will be key for Punjab, and if they can settle down and show a little more patience with the bat, they’ll make life hard on just about every team.
Kolkata have looked very good so far, however, and the Knight Riders have the overall quality to win matches with either bat or ball. They’ll be the favourites on Tuesday and should come away with the win.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
