KKR vs Kings XI : The best batting line-up pitted against the best bowling attack

Two months of T-20 action packed extravaganza will culminate with the IPL final tomorrow. After a series of pulsating matches two of the most deserving teams are in the final. The Knight Riders will go head to head with the Kings XI in what is sure to be a thrilling encounter at Bengaluru.

It is tipped to be the battle of the best bowling attack and the best batting line-up in the competition and KKR bowlers seem to have the wood over the famed Punjab batting line-up. They have dismissed Punjab for less then 150 in all their three encounters so far. But with the Bengaluru pitch expected to provide a run fest for the batsmen, it will not be an easy task for the Knight Riders to repeat the feat against the marauding Kings XI line-up.

KKR go into the match as a very settled unit. Vinay Kumar could get a game ahead of Piyush Chawla due to the nature of the Chinnaswamy. The rest of the team pretty much picks itself. Narine has decided to stay back for the IPL final and that could have some bearing on the outcome of the match since his four overs are almost unhittable on any pitch. Robin Uthappa is in red hot form and his wicket could be crucial, however all the KKR batsmen have shown signs of being in their best form recently.

Punjab has undoubtedly the strongest batting line-up among all the teams in the IPL. They have beaten CSK three times in the tournament and for many that is a reason enough to give them the IPL trophy. Each of their top 6 is good enough to single handedly win them the match from any situation. But it is their bowling lineup which is a cause of concern to them. Akshar Patel has been brilliant in this edition, but their fast bowlers Sandeep Sharma, Parvinder Awana and Mitchell Johnson have failed to deliver consistently. They will desperately hope that all of them step up for the final.

This is Punjab’s first final and they would be hoping their young Indian players aren’t overawed by the occasion. KKR do seem to have a slight edge in the match due to their superior bowling attack and experienced team. But for Punjab they will need to score and score big to have any hopes of being crowned the IPL champions.

May the best team win.