Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) find themselves in a tricky position in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Like a few others, the Ajinkya Rahane-led side has struggled at home too. Their opponent, Punjab Kings (PBKS) managed to defeat them despite getting bowled out for 113. Even if the pitch is made to aid KKR spinners, it will be a daunting task for the home side to counter Shreyas Iyer's side.
KKR vs PBKS Toss Prediction:
KKR have won only one match this season at home and it was when they batted first against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Considering they have struggled to chase for more than a couple of weeks, Rahane may look to win the toss and opt to bat first. PBKS won't mind chasing at Eden Gardens and Shreyas may look to bowl first if he wins the toss.
KKR vs PBKS Top Performers:
KKR skipper Rahane is their leading run-scorer with 271 runs from eight innings, including three fifties. Young Angkrish Raghuvanshi has scored 197 runs from seven innings. He was sent in to bat at no.9 in the failed run chase against Gujarat Titans (GT). In the bowling department, Harshit Rana has 11 wickets from eight games. Rana is closely followed by Varun Chakravarthy with 10 wickets from as many games.
PBKS' Arshdeep Singh is their leading wicket-taker with 11 scalps from eight games. Recently, Chahal got back his form. He has nine wickets from eight games. Their batting hasn't fired in unison as well. Captain Shreyas is their leading run-scorer with 263 runs from eigth innings and a strike rate of 185.21. Young Priyansh Arya is second with 254 runs from as many games. His strike rate is over 200. Meanwhile, Nehal Wadhera has been impressive in the finisher role.
KKR vs PBKS Win Probability:
KKR are way ahead of PBKS in head-to-head record. They have won 21 out of 34 encounters over the years. At home, KKR have beaten PBKS in nine games out of 13. However, the last time PBKS met KKR at Eden Gardens, they chased down the mammoth target of 262, the highest in IPL history. While Jonny Bairstow is not a part of PBKS anymore, half-centurions of that game Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh were retained.