KKR vs PBKS Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2024 match?

There are few similarities between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) heading into their IPL 2024 meeting on Friday, April 26.

With explosiveness at the top of the order and quality spin to back it up, the Knight Riders have played a simple, aggressive brand of cricket. In contrast, the Kings have had barely any contributions from their main batters and don't have any specialist spinners in their side.

These differences are telling. With five wins in seven matches, KKR are comfortably placed at second in the standings. Kolkata also have the best net run rate in the competition, and following the SunRisers Hyderabad's defeat yesterday, a secure top-two spot is there for the temporary taking.

Meanwhile, PBKS just haven't been able to get going in IPL 2024. With only four points from eight matches, Punjab are ninth on the table and find themselves fast running out of playoff contention. It used to be a case of not getting over the line in tight contests, but even that has gone in the wrong direction lately.

This is the two teams' first meeting this season. KKR have won three of their last five matches against PBKS in the IPL, but both teams' current units are notably different to the ones they fielded during previous campaigns.

Can Kolkata keep their good form going in front of their home crowd, or will Punjab find a way to get back in the win column?

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IPL 2024, KKR vs PBKS Win Probability: Home side start as favorites

There doesn't seem to be any way around PBKS' batting concerns. Shikhar Dhawan continues to be on the sidelines, with his deputy Sam Curran opening the batting without much success in his absence.

Rilee Rossouw is an extremely unreliable batter even when he's at his best, and he seems woefully out of form right now. Despite brief flashes of brilliance from Prabhsimran Singh, Punjab's top order seems fragile.

KKR, meanwhile, have no such issues. Sunil Narine and Phil Salt are going great guns in the powerplay, and there's enough firepower in the middle order to deal with the bowling threat of Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada.

Moreover, Kolkata's spin duo of Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy will give them the edge at the Eden Gardens, which has had predictable conditions over the course of the tournament.

The Kolkata Knight Riders will be bitterly disappointed if they are unable to come away with two points against a struggling Punjab Kings team.

Prediction: KKR to win Match 42 of IPL 2024