IPL Schedule 2016: Live Stream, TV Info, Key T20 Fixtures and Latest Odds
The 2016 Indian Premier League hasn’t gone as expected thus far, particularly as debut franchise Gujarat Lions, in action against the Delhi Daredevils on Tuesday, have been outperforming all others.
They stand top of the pile on the cusp of this fixture, with six wins from their first eight games in the IPL. Additionally, they’ve been involved in some very tight finishes, beating both Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants off the last ball; they also edged Delhi by one run in their earlier meeting.
It makes this clash an unmissable one. Here’s a closer look at the showdown in Rajkot, Wednesday’s tie between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab, as well as key viewing details and odds for upcoming games.
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| May 3 | 3:30 p.m./8 p.m. | Gujarat Lions vs. Delhi Daredevils | 4-6 | 10-7 |
| May 4 | 3:30 p.m./8 p.m. | Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Kings XI Punjab | 4-7 | 11-7 |
Matches can be streamed via Sky Go (UK)
Odds courtesy of Oddschecker and accurate as of 7:45 a.m. (BST) on May 3.
Lions vs. Daredevils
After coming up just short in their chase against the Lions last time, there’s a chance for Delhi to exact some revenge here. And Zaheer Khan’s side will be confident of doing exactly that, with four wins from their last six matches, including an impressive 27-run win over Kolkata last time out.
That was a win that showcased not only the depth of the Daredevils squad—they lost both openers in the first over and were still able to post 186 for eight with the bat—but a lot of mental strength as the Knight Riders came on strong late in their chase.
Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle hailed the steady leadership of Khan, who bowled brilliantly on the day:
The Lions are certainly a team to be wary of. They’ve shown they can dominate opponents with their selection of dynamic players. However, they did show some frailties in their last outing, falling to a 23-run loss against bottom side Kings XI Punjab.
One thing the Daredevils will need to be wary of is how dangerous Gujarat are at the top of the order. As these numbers from Star Sports show, Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith are a fierce opening duo who can take the game away from the opposition:
Delhi are a team that look very well balanced coming into this one, and after a brilliant win over Kolkata will be full of confidence. Provided the likes of Khan and Chris Morris can keep things tight with the ball early on, they can get over the line here.
Prediction: Delhi
Knight Riders vs. Kings XI
Looking to put a strong run of form together will be Kolkata, and a home game against the bottom team in the IPL in Punjab is the ideal fixture on paper.
But it might not be the best time to go up against Kings XI, who showed signs of life in their win over the Lions. Their batting effort epitomised what this team is capable of, with Murali Vijay playing well at the top of the innings before the dangerous Wriddhiman Saha came in late on to up the ante.
The star of the show was Axar Patel, though, as he took a hat-trick with the ball. As ESPN Cricinfo note here, it’s a feat that has been a long time coming in the IPL:
After losing to Delhi, Kolkata looked like they were back at it again in their match with Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday, grabbing a five-wicket win with time to spare.
Typically the Knight Riders rely so much on the opening duo of Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir when it comes to chasing down a total. And when the former departed for just one before the latter fell for 37 in just the ninth over, they needed someone to step up lower down the order.
With a blistering 60 from 29 deliveries, Yusuf Pathan did exactly that. As noted by AltCricket, Kolkata do have some big hitters lurking in their batting order:
"KKR will be unstoppable if two of Lynn, Russell and Pathan fire. All can hit #BEASTMODE in IPL.
— Alt Cricket (@AltCricket) May 2, 2016"
It’s a blend of quality in the batting lineup that will ensure they are too strong for Punjab when these two square off in Kolkata.
Gambhir and his team are so reliable with both bat and ball, and that’s a consistency the Kings XI have failed to strike in the IPL this term. The visitors slowly seem to be improving and could be a force late in the competition, but this game will be a step too far for them.
Prediction: Kolkata
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