IPL match today, KKR vs PBKS: Team prediction, head-to-head, Eden Gardens pitch report, Kolkata weather update

NEW DELHI: Just a season after leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to IPL glory, Shreyas Iyer returns to Eden Gardens in opposition colours, now captaining a rejuvenated Punjab Kings (PBKS).

Let go by KKR in a shock off-season move, Iyer has found form and leadership comfort under mentor Ricky Ponting, guiding PBKS to the top five with five wins from eight. With 263 runs and three fifties, Iyer now has a chance to deliver a KL Rahul-style statement knock against his former team.

KKR, however, are floundering with five losses in eight. Their top-order is shaky, the middle-order misfiring, and spin options underwhelming on home turf.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.

Calls for change may see Rovman Powell come in, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi remains a lone batting bright spot. Ajinkya Rahane’s conservative approach and Sunil Narine’s lack of impact have also added pressure.

PBKS, on the other hand, look confident with Marco Jansen’s early bursts, Nehal Wadhera’s finishing skills, and Arshdeep Singh’s 11 wickets leading the attack. Yuzvendra Chahal, who wrecked KKR in their 95 all-out collapse last week, looms large again.

KKR must win five of their remaining six to stay in playoff contention, but with just one home win this season and internal issues, including pitch controversies, they face a tough task.

Saturday’s clash is more than just a game: it’s personal, tactical, and possibly season-defining.

KKR vs PBKS: Predicted XIs

KKR: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh , Andre Russell, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh , Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Angkrish Raghuvanshi

PBKS: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Josh Inglis(wk), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar

KKR vs PBKS: Head-to-Head

• Matches played: 34
• KKR won: 21
• PBKS won: 13

KKR vs PBKS: Kolkata weather update
Brace for a hot Saturday in Kolkata. Forecast predicts the temperature will climb to 36 degrees Celsius with no chance of rain. Expect humidity and due at the night.


KKR vs PBKS: Livestreaming details
The KKR vs PBKS match will be telecasted on Star Sports Network on TV, with livestreaming available on JioHotstar from 7:30 PM IST onwards.



KKR vs PBKS Squads
KKR: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Chetan Sakariya.

PBKS: Shreyas Iyer (c), Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Josh Inglis, Xavier Bartlett, Kuldeep Sen, Pyla Avinash, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Harnoor Pannu, Aaron Hardie, Priyansh Arya, Azmatullah Omarzai.