Both KXIP and the Royals would look to build a winning momentum after starting the tournament as underdogs.
The most consistent team this season will be up against the most resilient side of the current edition when Kings XI Punjab locks horns with Kolkata Knight Riders in the first Qualifier clash of the Indian Premier League in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Half-way through the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League, the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament has witnessed some top quality catches. Rediff.com takes a look at some memorable ones.
Glenn Maxwell's blitzkrieg 38-ball 90 in Kings XI Punjab's win over Chennai Super Kings in an IPL match in Cuttack on Wednesday night prompted the losing captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to compare the Australian with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag in talent.
Half-way through the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League, the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament has witnessed some top quality catches. Rediff.com takes a look at some memorable ones.
Rajasthan's feeble middle-order was again exposed as runs came in a trickle in singles and twos.
Peter Handscomb struck his maiden ODI hundred and Ashton Turner smashed a blistering 84 not out to secure Australia's series-levelling four-wicket victory against India in the high-scoring fourth one-day international in Mohali on Sunday.
Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins shattered the record for the most expensive foreign buy ever in the IPL auction as Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for a massive Rs 15.50 crore.
David Warner won the 2016 Allan Border Medal- an award given to Australia's cricketer of the year. The opening batsman polled an overall 240 votes (split evenly between those awarded by his teammates and those from umpires and media representatives) in the AB Medal count, 21 more than Steve Smith and 57 ahead of third-placed Mitchell Starc. Also named Australia's Test Player of the Year, Warner (30 votes) polled six more than Smith with Starc again placed third with 18 votes, while Josh Hazlewood was also a contender for the Tests honour. "My heart is racing. I honestly thought Smudge (Smith) had a terrific year and he would have taken this out," Warner said on stage at the Allan Border Medal event.
'Everyone's got their own story. Everyone's been through ups and downs. I think what stands out for me most is just the love in this team. I'm playing for my team mates. I'm not going out there to play for my spot, or show people or prove people wrong.'
India captain Virat Kohli's two half-centuries in the recently-concluded Australia vs India ODI series have cemented his spot at the top of the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Player Rankings for batsmen.
The Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals player, had their first proper training session in months on Wednesday in UAE.
Star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to shrug off the crushing defeat in the previous outing and get their mojo back when they take on Mahendra Singh Dhoni's resilient Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Sharjah on Friday.
A look at the top 10 purchases at the IPL auction.
Australia and West Indies are set to lock horns in five T20Is and three ODIs in July this year.
Legendary Australia batsman Matthew Hayden has said that all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has the potential to become Australia's answer to star England batsman Kevin Pietersen during the winter Ashes.
India Test wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha said that Mahendra Singh Dhoni was more natural with the wicketkeeping gloves as compared to others who have played a similar role in cricket.
Their campaign back on track after drubbing Bangladesh in their previous game, Australia cannot afford slip-up against an unpredictable West Indies in their final Super 12 match as they look to seal a semi-final spot in the T20 World Cup on Saturday.
Images from the third T20 International between Australia and India, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, on Tuesday.
Buoyed by their convincing seven-wicket win over title holders Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings will take on Kings XI Punjab in their second IPL knockout game.
Bangladesh off-spinner Sohag Gazi's bowling action has been reported illegal after his side suffered a heavy 177 run loss in Friday's One Day International (ODI) against West Indies in Granada, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed.
The spotlight will be firmly on Glenn Maxwell and Royal Challengers Bangalore's Chris Gayle as the two power-hitters gear up to lead a dazzling array of strokemakers, with the high-flying Kings XI Punjab seeking to maintain their stranglehold.
Arguably the most dangerous opening batsman ever to play for India, Virender Sehwag has no qualms in stating that his Kings XI Punjab teammate Glenn Maxwell, who has been tormenting bowlers in the ongoing IPL-7, is more destructive than him and even Chris Gayle.
As the tournament shifts to India, here's a look at the best performances from the first leg.
Title favourites England are expected to be tested for the first time in the ongoing T20 World Cup when they face arch-rivals Australia in a battle for supremacy in the Super 12 Group 1 here on Saturday.
James Faulkner, man-of-the-match in the 2015 World Cup final against New Zealand, has been omitted from the 15-man squad named on Thursday, with selectors opting for all-rounders Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.
Still finding his feet in the Twenty20 format, Cheteshwar Pujara knows that he cannot be "flamboyant" like some of his Kings XI Punjab teammates in the IPL but the Indian says he is hoping carve a niche for himself by emulating South African legend Jacques Kallis.
Former champions Sri Lanka will look to exploit Australia's top-order woes when they clash in a group 1 Super 12 match of the ICC T20 World Cup here on Thursday.
Rohit Sharma will certainly leave a gaping hole at the top of the order, something that skipper Virat Kohli wouldn't have fancied at the onset of a gruelling two-month tour.
Images from the West Indies-Australia World T20 in Mirpur on Friday.
Explaining the insane bids of Morris, Maxwell, Meredith, Richardson
Once Dube departed in the 16th over, it was always going to be a big ask for RR to post a challenging total.
