Both teams should anticipate an action-packed and high-scoring matchup in this matchup. Both will look to score big hits.
KKR have made multiple acquisitions at this auction, such as New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson. Furthermore, they released several players including Ricky Ponting, Morne van Wyk, and Mohammad Hafeez, highlighting the latest Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders stats.
| Date | Venue | Result | PBKS Score | KKR Score | Top Performers (PBKS) | Top Performers (KKR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26, 2024 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | PBKS won by 8 wickets | 262/2 (18.4) | 261/6 (20.0) | Jonny Bairstow 108*, Prabhsimran Singh 54 | Sunil Narine 1/24 (4) |
| May 5, 2024 | Lucknow | KKR won by 5 wickets | 177/6 (19.2) | 182/5 (20.0) | Shikhar Dhawan 57, Rahul Chahar 2/23 | Andre Russell 51*, Varun Chakravarthy 3/26 |
| Apr 15, 2025 | Mullanpur, Chandigarh | PBKS won by 16 runs | 111 all out (15.3) | 95 all out (15.1) | Yuzvendra Chahal 4/28, Marco Jansen 3/17 | Harshit Rana 3/20 |
| Apr 26, 2025 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Match abandoned due to rain | – | – | – | – |
| May 25, 2025 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | SRH won by 110 runs (against KKR) | – | – | – | – |
PBKS vs KKR
PBKS and KKR have met in T20s 33 times before, with KKR winning 21 matches outright. Both sides will be looking to secure top four finishes and play-off places, so this should be an intense encounter that begins at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur in Chandigarh at 7:30 PM IST.
This was an exciting matchup, with the defending champions overturning an overwhelming deficit to claim their inaugural victory of the season.
PBKS batted first and reached 245/7 after 20 overs with key contributions coming from Priyansh Arya, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, and Shreyas Iyer.
Chahal took advantage of two early wickets to pick up four wickets in an over and break the backbone of KKR with his third four-wicket haul against them in IPL history; an amazing achievement indeed. Rahane and Raghuvanshi then created a crucial 95-run stand that gave KKR some momentum before Chahal wreaked havoc by picking off four wickets with only one over bowled by Chahal against them; his four wicket haul vs KKR being the most of any bowler since IPL began!
At one point, KKR appeared poised to win in 14.1 overs before Ravichandran Ashwin caught them short by bowling 13 runs short – breaking their own record of 95 against Chennai Super Kings back in 2009. Wild scenes ensued in the KKR dugout as they rued what could have been.
Meanwhile PBKS provided a fantastic performance and will look to build upon this victory and make up ground on playoff spot contenders.
Head-to-Head Record
Just ten days ago, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) seemed poised to begin a successful IPL season. Two points and an increase in net run rate seemed within their grasp when they chased 112 against Punjab Kings (PBKS), only for an abject collapse to see them lose by eight wickets in what remains one of the worst defeats ever in IPL history.
Since then, similar misfortune has befallen them again when playing Gujarat Titans; now KKR must win all remaining six matches if they hope for top four finish!
After an inauspicious start to their season, PBKS have shown impressive improvement and remain unbeaten in three of their last five matches. Shreyas Iyer has led his batting unit admirably while youngsters such as Priyansh Arya and Nehal Wadhera have made significant strides forward.
Their bowlers Mujeeb Zadran, Harpreet Brar and Kuldeep Sen have shown great promise as bowling threats.
This match against KKR marks their first meeting at Mullanpur since 2016, when former champions Chennai Super Kings prevailed by one run. Rivalries will only increase as both teams vie to finish in the top-four finishers’ list.
KKR have had an up and down season so far, winning and losing with equal regularity. Their squad boasts veterans like Phil Salt, Sunil Narine, Moeen Ali, Rovman Powell, Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz – among many others – although Glenn Maxwell and Josh Inglis have been conspicuously absent recently; Moeen Ali or Spencer Johnson may replace them against PBKS.
Pitch Conditions
New Chandigarh offers both teams an ideal batting-friendly surface that should lead to big scores from their respective sides. A fast pace attack will appreciate early bounce while batsmen should have freedom in playing their shots freely; however, bowlers must remain disciplined as its quick outfield may punish any mistimed shots or misplays.
Eden Gardens will feature a slower pitch that should accommodate spinners more readily, which should benefit KKR as their bowlers should have no trouble taking advantage of such conditions. They should still remain wary as recent matches have seen the pitch favor teams that bat first more often.
Punjab will rely heavily on skipper Shreyas Iyer and opener Priyansh Arya for their batting needs this season, both having scored more than 250 runs each. Nehal Wadhera, Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh have all performed admirably for them but in order for the Kings to regain a top four finish they must also see contributions from foreign players like Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis who have struggled so far this campaign; both need to step up their game if they hope to make an impactful contribution.
On the bowling front, PBKS will rely on left-arm spinner Arshdeep Singh and fast bowlers Yash Thakur, Vishnu Vinod and Harpreet Brar to contain KKR’s opening attack. Alongside these regulars, Lockie Ferguson who had been out due to hamstring injury is back available for selection by KBKS.
Prediction
Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings will engage in an exciting battle on Thursday. Both teams are in excellent form and look to extend their winning streak, both currently lying sixth in the table with three victories and one defeat each.
This will be the 33rd meeting between these teams since IPL began, and KKR currently lead with 21 victories to 12 for PBKS. Last season, KKR prevailed by 8 wickets at home.
KKR boasts an outstanding batting line-up that can score big on any pitch. They also possess strong fielding capabilities, and have the power to limit opposing team scores by fielding effectively and restricting them from scoring more often. Unfortunately, however, their bowling hasn’t been up to par so far and needs improvement on that front.
On the other hand, PBKS boast an effective batting line-up and impressive fielding skills, capable of taking 10 wickets in a match and having won three games so far this season. Their attack is led by Shreyas Iyer who boasts extensive Indian Premier League experience.
Both teams have an opportunity to improve their league standings with a win at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium (New PCA Cricket Stadium) Mullanpur in Punjab starting at 7:30 PM IST.
PBKS will need to make several adjustments in their starting XI as Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.
They could potentially replace him with either Yash Thakur or Vijaykumar Vyshak as replacement, as well as all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai taking Jos Buttler’s place and adding all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai into their all-rounder pool; other remaining batsmen include Marcus Stoinis Glenn Maxwell and Shashank Singh.