Kolkata Knight Riders v Punjab Kings IPL Tips: Runs galore at the Gardens

• Choice affair on match odds

• Eden Gardens flat for batters

• Roy back for KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders v Punjab Kings

Monday 8 April, 15.00
TV: Live on BT Sports

Team news

Kolkata are likely to need to win all four of their remaining matches - and boost their net run rate to a plus - to qualify for the play-offs. They had no right to win last time out against Sunrisers and it probably gives a false impression of ability. Jason Roy is fit again but was subbed out.

Probable XII: Roy, Gurbaz, Venkatesh, Rana, Rinku, Russell, Narine, Thakur, Anukul, Harshit, Arora, Chakravarthy. *Potential subs

Punjab missed a golden chance to put together a streak against a flaky Mumbai last time out. With this game and then two against Delhi Capitals they were eyeing a surge. Now they're under pressure. On a flat one they may recall Kagiso Rabada for Matt Short. Harpreet Singh could bolster the batting.

Possible XII: P Singh, Dhawan, Livingstone, Jitesh, Harpreet Singh, S Curran, Shahrukh, R Dhawan, Harpreet Brar, Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep.

*Potential subs

Pitch report

Eden Gardens is a road. The scores so far (1-2 denote match won by side batting first or second, most recent first) read: 179-2/235-1/228-1/204-1. With KKR conceding an average of 9.3 with the ball and Punjab 9.6, going over on the par line in the late 180s is solid.

Both sides for 170 or more has copped in ten of the last 11 suggesting that 11/10 is a gift. Likewise both for 180 at 15/8 (six of last 10). Both for 200 is 6/1 (three from 10).

How to play

KKR and Punjab are 1.9720/21 the pair. That makes sense given the flat nature of the wicket and the pricey bowling on either side.

If there is a team with an edge it is Punjab. They are adept at the death with the ball - but need to take it there. On such a good batting wicket it could be that it makes the difference.

Tops value

Rival openers Roy and Shikhar Dhawan have been boosted to 2/1 and 11/4 respectively for top KKR and Punjab bat. But do be aware that if Roy is subbed in for a chase bets are void. Players must be in the starting XI for bets to be live. Betting potentially without Roy makes Venkatesh Iyer appealing at 10/3.