IPL 2017 Fantasy Guide: Fantasy Tips for Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders

No matter how good a player you are, you can never ever outrun a fan favourite. But how are these fan favourites created? Who are they? Why do they enjoy this unflinching support from the mass? Is it just about their performance on the field? Or does it have more to it?

In our nation(probably everywhere) we deal with rejections everyday. We deal with higher ups who keep bogging us down and keep avoiding the good we do. We lust for credit, for appreciation. And when we see a cricketer suffer the same kind of treatment, a cricketer who has done all the hard work, a cricketer who looks tenacious on the field, but is ignored by the authorities, we tend to relate with him through and through. And that is the best possible explanation for the Gambhir saga!

Also Read: Five surprising exclusions from India’s Champions Trophy squad

Gautam Gambhir’s exclusion and Shikhar Dhawan’s inclusion created a rage in the country last night as BCCI announced the 15 member squad. But what people overlooked was Shikhar Dhawan’s national team record(he has 9 centuries in 76 games, whereas Rohit Sharma has 10 in 153). Gautam Gambhir has certainly been in good form during the domestic season and in the IPL, but he shouldn’t have come in for Shikhar, not in the ODI format. Rahane could have been the one to make way, but sadly that didn’t happen either.

Also Read: Twitter loses its mind as Gambhir missed out on a Champions Trophy spot

And Dhawan came up with the best possible reply by scoring a match winning knock of 70 odd(he is second on the list of the highest run getters this season), on a day when he was probably the most scrutinised person in the country, which clearly shows the character of the man. Maybe he isn’t as flamboyant as Gambhir, maybe he isn’t a leader, but he is pretty effective at the top of the order in the ODI format. So let’s cut him some slack and support him all we can for the Champions Trophy.

SRH brushed aside Mumbai last night and gave themselves a renewed hope of making it to the playoffs. That stray point that they got against RCB is looking like a win right now, as Kings XI will now have to win all their games to have any chance of qualifying.

Also Read: Lalit Modi leaks MS Dhoni’s offer letter

Mumbai experimented a wee bit last night, and were handed a thorough drubbing. They would be hoping for quick return to normalcy before the business end of the tournament kicks off!

Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Kings XI Punjab need to have a one track mind now. They have to win all three games now to have any hope of making it to the playoffs. A little slip up and it all comes crashing down for them. But this is what defines champion sides, these moments, these little trysts with destiny. A fairytale could be in the making but first they need to get the job done tonight.

KKR would look to crush that Kings XI dream, as they too need to step up their game in order to qualify in the top 2. Hashim Amla and David Miller have left for international duty and Marcus Stoinis has bene ruled out due to a shoulder problem. For the KKR, today’s game could mean a return for Robin Uthappa, but that could cause a little shake up in the batting lineup of KKR. Let’s see how things pan out.

Let’s get to business now!

IPL Fantasy Tips on the next page:

Post Edited By: Utkarsh Bhatla