On Saturday, KXIP won the toss and elected to bowl first. Pitch report suggested according to analyses Deep Dasgupta "It is nice and hard, it's got good bounce. This is a day game so pitch might play on the slower side." Kolkata Knight Rider and Kings XI Punjab have three wins apiece, though the former have played one match more than KXIP’s three. KKR sit on the top on the point table, courtesy a superior net run rate. Both teams come into this match riding on superlative performances in their respective previous matches. KKR took the confidence of a resounding win against the Delhi Daredevils at home when they travelled to Jaipur and humbled the Rajasthan Royals in their fortress. KXIP too have the confidence of consecutive wins behind them; first, they defeated the Chennai Super Kings by a narrow margin of 4 runs, and most recently handed Sunrisers Hyderabad their first defeat of the season.
Team Head to Head (KKR vs KXIP)
Overall: Matches – 22, Kolkata Knight Riders won – 14, Kings XI Punjab won – 7
At the Eden Gardens: Matches – 9, Kolkata Knight Riders won – 7, Kings XI Punjab won – 2
IPL Trivia
1. Chris Gayle Vs. Piyush Chawla in the IPL: Runs scored – 103, Balls faced – 57, Sixes hit – 9, Dismissals – 1, Strike Rate – 180.70!
2. Chris Gayle Vs. Sunil Narine in the IPL: Runs scored – 40, Balls faced – 45, Strike Rate – 88.89.
3. KXIP have the best scoring rate in the Poweplay overs in VIVO IPL 2018 – 10.29 & the best economy rate in the Powerplay overs – 7.46.