File Pic: KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane and PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer (Image credit: IPL) Struggling Kolkata Knight Riders face a stern test against incompetent Punjab Kings as they look to halt a worrying slide in the IPL. The three-time champions have endured a shaky start and now risk a third straight defeat, with concerns going well beyond the absence of key pacemen.KKR’s campaign has been undermined by questionable strategic decisions, most notably the release of Shreyas Iyer, who led them to the title in 2024. Iyer has since thrived for Punjab, leading them to the finals in 2025, while KKR slipped to eighth last season. The switch to Ajinkya Rahane in the lead has produced mixed results, with the veteran leading the run charts but failing to inspire consistency across the side.
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Ajinkya Rahane press conference: KKR skipper backs bowlers, hits back at SR critics In contrast, Iyer-led Punjab Kings looked a composed and confident outfit with two wins in two matches. Contributions from Cooper Connolly, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh along with a balanced bowling attack featuring Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal make them clear favourites.For KKR, isolated performances from Kartik Tyagi and Angkrish Raghuvanshi offer some hope, but a significant turnaround is needed to take on a well-rounded Punjab side.
KKR vs PBKS Head-to-Head
- Total number of matches played: 35
- Kolkata Knight Riders: 21
- Kings of Punjab: 13
- No result: 1
KKR vs PBKS: Pitch Report
In the only match at the Eden Gardens this season, Sunrisers Hyderabad first amassed a daunting 226, underscoring the batting friendly nature. The country also emerged as the fastest scorers in the IPL since 2023, boosting expectations for another high-scoring contest. Both teams’ training on Sunday was marred by persistent drizzle, but conditions are expected to improve, with a brighter forecast for Monday’s clash.
KKR vs PBKS: Predicted XI
Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted XI: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (week), Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Blessing Muzarabani.Impact Sub: Kartik TyagiPunjabi kings predicted XI. Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh.Impact: Yuzvenda Chahal
KKR vs PBKS: Kolkata Weather Update
Misty sunshine is expected during the day, with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and a maximum temperature of around 35°C. Conditions will ease into a partly cloudy night with temperatures dropping to around 23°C.Although both teams’ practices on Sunday were washed away by rain, the outlook for match day looks more favorable. The chance of rain is expected to drop from around 25% at throw-in time to almost 20% during the match hours. Occasional cloud cover is likely, but temperatures should remain steady at around 26C, making for mostly playable conditions.
KKR vs PBKS: Live Streaming Details
KKR vs PBKS will be held at Eden Gardens, Kolkata and the match is scheduled to start at 19:30 IST. The game will be telecast on Star Sports Network while live streaming will be available on JioHotstar.
Teams KKR vs PBKS
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ro Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh (vc), Finn Allen, Tejasvi Dahiya, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Sarthak Ranjan, Tim Seifert, Rahul Tripathi, Daksh Kamra, Cameron Green, Sunil Narine, Vunvarbthy Rakuly, Varunkrachin Rakul Arora, Saurabh Dubey, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani, Navdeep Saini, Prashant Solanki and Umran Malik.Kings of Punjab: Shreyas Iyer (c), Priyansh Arya, Harnoor Singh, Mitchell Owen, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Marcus Stoinis, Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett, Yuzvendra Chahal, Lockie Ferguson, Harpreet Conmark, Thaija, Yapreet Vyshall, V Thaijay Ben Dwarshuis, Musheer Khan, Praveen Dubey, Vishal Nishad, Suryansh Shedge, Prabhsimran Singh, Pyla Avinash, Shashank Singh.
