The Match:
This is the 57th game of the Indian Premier League and will see the Kings XI Punjab play the Kochi Tuskers Kerala. This is a home game for Kochi, although the game will be played at a new venue – the Holkar cricket ground in Indore. Both teams need to win this one or face extinction from this tournament.
How the two teams match up: Kochi have played 11 games and won five, which puts them at 10 points and with an outside chance of qualifying for the playoffs. They need to win all their remaining three games, including this one. On the other hand, the Punjab side will look to ensure that they win this because they have eight points from 10 games and much like Kochi, they also need to win this one.
However, Punjab need to secure four wins in a row as compared to the three that Kochi need to make it through to the next round.
Ground Conditions: It is difficult to predict how a ground which has last been used for an international three years ago will play. Especially given that the stadium is not too well-used in the domestic cricket either. However, one senses that given that this is the first time that the IPL will be played here, it should be batting-friendly.
The Teams: The Kochi Tuskers have generally struggled with their top-order. If their opening batsman, Brendon McCullum has got off to a good start, then the side has generally done well but without his start, the rest of the batsmen have collapsed in a heap. Mahela Jayawardene needs to take up more responsibility than what he already has while the likes of Brad Hodge and Ravindra Jadeja need to all chip in.
Muthiah Muralitharan should play this one in place of Ramesh Powar, which means that Michael Klinger may have to sit out. VVS Laxman could also come in.
Punjab will not want to change a winning combination but will hope that the likes of David Hussey can get some of their run-scoring capabilities back.
Players to look out for: The Kochi Tuskers will look to get S Sreesanth back into the playing eleven and will hope that he can channelize his anger at being dropped in the previous game in the right direction. Punjab need Dinesh Karthik to shore up the middle order.
Prediction: Punjab should be favourites to win this one but there isn’t much to choose from between the two sides.