πππππ :Β Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kingsββ
ππππ : April 26, Saturday
ππππ : 19:30 PM IST
πππππ :β Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India
ππππππππππ : Indian Premier League, 2025
The last time Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings faced off at Eden Gardens was in IPL 2024, where Punjab beat the home side by chasing down 262 in 18.4 overs.
- Punjab Kings have dominated Kolkata Knight Riders in recent times, winning three of their last five encounters, including once this season.
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Ajinkya Rahane are the only reliable batters for KKR this season.
- A score of around 190 will be challenging to defend on this Eden surface.
Quetta Gladiators vs Karachi Kings
TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar
Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website.
KKR vs PBKS Match Prediction & Analysis
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) take on Punjab Kings (PK) in the 44th match of IPL 2025 this Saturday night in Kolkata. KKR have struggled with form this season, picking up only three wins from eight games, putting them at seventh in the standings. Punjab are doing better, with five wins and three losses, holding fifth place. Theyβve already taken down KKR once this year and look better placed to do it again.
TEAMS PREVIEW
Kolkata Knight Riders Preview
Itβs been a tough ride for defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders so farβjust three wins in eight games, five losses, and theyβre now sitting at seventh on the table. Theyβve now lost back-to-back games for the first time this season, the latest being a heavy 39-run defeat to Gujarat Titans at home. The team looks worn down.
The batting unit hasnβt done them any favors. Apart from skipper Ajinkya Rahane, the rest have been patchy. Quinton de Kock was replaced by Rahmanullah Gurbaz last match, but the Afghan keeper could only chip in with 1 on his season debut.
Sunil Narineβs form at the top has been unpredictable, and both Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh are having a hard time adjusting to the slower tracks. Andre Russell has hit a few out of the park, but overall hasnβt looked anywhere close to his usual self. Ramandeep Singh, given multiple shots, still hasnβt made any real impact.
One of the few positives is Angkrish Raghuvanshi. The youngster has scored 197 runs from 7 innings, averaging 38.71 with a strike rate of 149.24. But KKRβs habit of shifting him around the order hasnβt helped with stability.
The bowling has fared a bit better. Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora have handled the early spells decently, taking 20 wickets between them. The spin trio of Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, and Moeen Ali have managed to apply some control through the middle overs. Russell, despite his quiet run with the bat, might still be useful with his cutters on this pitch.
Punjab Kings Preview
Punjab Kings are hanging in thereβfive wins, three losses, and theyβre currently fifth. In their last game, they went down by 7 wickets at home to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a team they had beaten away not long before.
At the top, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh have been aggressive early, but havenβt quite strung it together game after game. Shreyas Iyer has been steady at number three, piling up 263 runs from eight innings with a strike rate of 185.21. Heβs looked assured and will be central to their batting again.
Nehal Wadhera has chipped in nicely through the middle overs, striking at 146. His knocks havenβt been long, but theyβve come at the right moments. Josh Inglis replaced Glen Maxwell but hasnβt offered much with the bat. Given the Eden surface, Punjab may rethink that swap just for the added spin option Maxwell brings.
Marcus Stoinis is hit-and-miss but dangerous when he connects. Shashank Singh has quietly done a good job closing games and can flip the momentum late.
Weather Conditions
Eden Gardens produced its trademark pitch last game – good for runs but with some natural slowness. Expect more of the same, with the ball gripping the pitch and batters needing to time their shots carefully. Slow bowlers should play a major role, putting extra importance on scoring freely during field restrictions. Kolkata’s weather looks partly cloudy with high humidity in the evening hours.
No rain is predicted, meaning we’ll likely see a complete 40 overs of action.
Eden Gardens has produced an average first-innings score of 167 runs. During this year’s IPL, four matches have been played here with just one offering a true batting paradise – the remaining three surfaces favored slower conditions while remaining decent for scoring. Should we get another slow track like last game’s, teams will likely target 180-190 to post a competitive total.
Toss: To Bat
Three of the four matches played at Eden Gardens in IPL 2025 have been won by the team batting first, which clearly shows that batting first is more advantageous here.
