Punjab aim to get back in top four
Kings XI Punjab are the only team in the IPL to hold the distinction of having lost to the bottom-placed Kolkata Knight Riders, and come Sunday, they'll be keen to set the record straight and further consolidate their position within the top four
Match facts
May 3, 2009Start time 12.30pm (10.30 GMT)
Big Picture
Kings XI Punjab are the only team in the IPL to hold the dubious distinction of having lost to the bottom-placed Kolkata Knight Riders, and come Sunday, they'll be keen to set the record straight and win back a place in the top four. Though the setback against Royal Challengers Bangalore dented their three-match winning streak, there were some positives with Yuvraj Singh's all-round performance, especially his success as opener, and the proven reliability of their bowlers.Punjab's strength has been their bowling, with Yusuf Abdulla proving a revelation. However, their batting requires greater consistency. They have relied extensively on the services of Kumar Sangakkara. Karan Goel has been patchy as opener, and Mahela Jayawardene has had a disappointing IPL by his standards.
McCullum averages only 5.16 this season and his much touted combination with Gayle has been a failure. They have averaged 18.2 for the first wicket, and even McCullum's demotion to No. 6 in the previous game didn't make much of a difference. In conditions favourable to spin, Kolkata's slow bowlers haven't had much success while those of other teams have thrived.
Watch out for
Yuvraj Singh delivered as an opener and successfully filled the void created by Ravi Bopara's departure. He is now Punjab's second-highest run-getter and has the best strike-rate as well. However, he'll look for more support from his opening partner Goel who started off well but has struggled in recent matches.Team news
Simon Katich has had only one game this season and despite the disappointment against Bangalore, against whom he made 3 after replacing Ravi Bopara, could keep his place. However, Luke Pomersbach, who has an impressive strike rate of 144.77 in Twenty20 cricket, is yet to get a look-in, and may just win a call-up.Head-to-head record
Siddhartha Talya is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo