Match: Team Kolkata vs Team Punjab, (KOL vs PUN, Match 53)

Date: May 8, 2023 – 7:30 PM IST

Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata 

It’s Team Kolkata and Team Punjab locking horns in the match no. 53 of the Indian T20 League 2023 on 8th May. The contest is scheduled to take place at the home of Team Kolkata, Eden Gardens. 

Team Punjab are occupying the seventh spot on the table, having won five out of 10 games. They have 10 points with a net run-rate of -0.472. They lost their most recent fixture against Mumbai by six wickets. 

Batting first, Liam Livingstone blasted an unbeaten 82 off 42 balls while Jitesh Sharma continued his superb form with 49* off 27. They posted 214 on the board but the bowlers couldn’t keep Mumbai batters quiet. Nathan Ellis picked 2 for 34 while Rishi Dhawan bagged 1 for 20 with the new ball but the rest of the lot was ineffective.

Team Kolkata are reeling at the eighth spot with eight points. They have won four matches and lost six, with their net run-rate reading -0.103. They are coming off a five-run victory over Hyderabad in a close finish away from home.

After losing three wickets in the powerplay, Nitish Rana scored 42 off 31 and Rinku Singh played another crucial knock of 46 in 35 balls to help Kolkata post 171. Kolkata were in a losing position with Hyderabad needing 38 off five overs. But Varun Chakravarthy conceded only 12 runs in three of those overs to pull off an unbelievable victory. 

In the earlier clash between these two sides, Punjab were victorious by five runs on DLS method. This contest is crucial for both the franchises with the playoffs spots up for grabs.  

Pitch Report and Weather Forecast for KOL vs PUN, Match 53

The Eden Gardens in Kolkata has been a heaven for batters in the Indian T20 League. As many as 29 league matches have been hosted here since 2017, with the average batting first score reading 182. This season has seen the team batting first put on 204, 228, 235 and 179 in four games. 

The Kolkata weather is expected to be clear on Tuesday evening with no chance of rain. The temperature will hover around 29 degrees.  

Team Kolkata – Expected XI and Team News 

Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora came into the side and did a decent job. Shardul Thakur has recovered to full fitness and bowled in the last game. Jason Roy, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Andre Russell and Varun Chakravarthy are top fantasy options from Team Kolkata. 

Probable XI – Jason Roy, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy

Team Punjab – Expected XI and Team News 

Team Punjab still haven’t settled on their fourth overseas spot. They brought in Matt Short in the previous game with Sikandar Raza sitting out. Nathan Ellis has done well to keep Kagiso Rabada out. Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran and Arshdeep Singh are top fantasy picks from this team. 

Probable XI – Shikhar Dhawan (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Matt Short, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sam Curran, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh

Head to Head record of KOL vs PUN 

Total Encounters – 31

Team Punjab won – 11

Team Kolkata won – 20

Punjab lead the last five encounters by 3-2.

Best Captaincy Picks for the KOL vs PUN match

Shikhar Dhawan: Batter, Team Punjab  

Shikhar Dhawan had a pretty solid start to this season. He has returned from an injury and remains a top C/VC option for this game. The left hand batter has scored 292 runs from seven innings this season, averaging 58 at a strike rate of 149. Dhawan has two fifties to his credit. 

Liam Livingstone: All-rounder, Team Punjab 

The English all-rounder has gained form the more he has played in the season. Livingstone was at his best in the previous game against Mumbai, where he smashed 82 not-out in 42 deliveries. He has picked two wickets in four innings as well. Livingstone is a top captaincy candidate.

Andre Russell: All-rounder, Team Kolkata 

Andre Russell hasn’t been at his best but has made contributions. He has picked seven wickets from seven innings at a strike rate of 11.2. With the bat, he has played a few cameos. With his all-round value, Russell is a good C/VC option for this game.

Top Differential Picks 

Prabhsimran Singh: Batter, Team Punjab 

Prabhsimran Singh has had a pretty good season for Punjab. Batting at the top, he has scored 219 runs at a strike rate of 152 with one fifty. He is picked by 19% of the fantasy players and offers good differential value.

Harshit Rana: Bowler, Team Kolkata 

Harshit Rana has played only two games but has looked good. He has picked two wickets while conceding runs at 7.42. Picked by only 11% of the MPL teams, Harshit can be a good differential.

MPL Fantasy XI 

Where and what time to watch the match live in India 

Star Sports Network has acquired the television rights of the Indian T20 League 2023 while Viacom 18 have bagged the digital rights. You can watch the matches on Star Sports channels or stream online on Jio Cinema. 

Note: The players recommended here need not be a part of the Playing 11 on game day. Users are advised to do their own research also and follow official sources and create their teams.