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- KKR vs PBKS Highlights, IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings called off due to bad weather
KKR vs PBKS Highlights, IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings called off due to bad weather
Adding to the drama is the return of Shreyas Iyer to Eden Gardens — but this time in Punjab Kings colours. Iyer’s departure from KKR before the mega auction was one of the most debated moves of the season. While KKR’s management claimed Iyer wanted to explore his market value, the batter felt his contributions hadn’t been fully appreciated by the franchise.
Since then, Shreyas has gone from strength to strength. He has become a serial winner, adding five major titles to his resume since May 2024, including the IPL with KKR, and domestic trophies like the Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with Mumbai. Recognized as the ICC Player of the Month for March and reinstated into the BCCI's central contracts, Shreyas is enjoying a purple patch.
Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop summed it up best: "Wherever Shreyas has gone, he's made teams better."
Punjab Kings are certainly feeling the "Shreyas effect" this season. Alongside head coach Ricky Ponting, Iyer has formed a formidable leadership duo that’s driving PBKS forward.
"He’s definitely a very good captain. The way he reads the game and makes bowling changes shows how involved he is," said Punjab's in-form batter Nehal Wadhera.
With stakes high for both sides, Saturday’s clash at Eden promises fireworks — on and off the field.
KKR vs RBKS Squads
Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Anukul Roy, Rovman Powell, Luvnith Sisodia, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson, Chetan Sakariya, Mayank Markande
Punjab Kings Squad: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer(c), Josh Inglis(w), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Praveen Dubey, Glenn Maxwell, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kuldeep Sen, Harnoor Singh, Vishnu Vinod, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash
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Vaibhav Arora to Prabhsimran Singh, An attempted yorker, tailing back in on middle, Prabhsimran Singh whips it across, along the ground to deep square leg. Gets a single.
Vaibhav Arora to Priyansh Arya, Angling far across the off stump, fuller in length, Priyansh Arya lofts it over cover-point for a single.
Vaibhav Arora to Prabhsimran Singh, At 132 kph, full and on the leg stump line, Prabhsimran Singh charges forward and drills it to the left of long on for a single.
- Prabhsimran Singh 3 (8)
- Priyansh Arya 10 (4)
Chetan Sakariya to Prabhsimran Singh, An excellent over from Sakariya. Just three singles off it. Angling back into the batter, on top of middle and leg, Prabhsimran Singh steers it across to the backward square leg region for a single.
Chetan Sakariya to Prabhsimran Singh, A gentle-paced delivery, angling across off on a hard length, Prabhsimran Singh cuts it away to backward point. So far, so good from Chetan Sakariya.
Halt! Chetan Sakariya is having some trouble with the landing area. The issue has been sorted and we are good to go now.
Chetan Sakariya to Priyansh Arya, Shaping back into the leg stump, on a short length, Priyansh Arya gets on his toes, and tucks it into the leg side, from the cue end of the bat. A single taken.
Chetan Sakariya to Prabhsimran Singh, Back of a length, outside off, guided down to deep third for a single.
Chetan Sakariya to Prabhsimran Singh, Around off, a tad full in length, Prabhsimran Singh steps out of the crease and resorts to ease it into the off side.
Chetan Sakariya to Prabhsimran Singh, From over the stumps, Chetan bowls it fuller, and angles it back into the batter, on middle, Prabhsimran Singh blocks it off into the leg side.
On debut for KKR, Chetan Sakariya will operate from the other end.
- Priyansh Arya 9 (3)
- Prabhsimran Singh 1 (3)
Vaibhav Arora to Priyansh Arya, FOUR! A left-hander's delight! In control! Shapes away from the batter, across off, full in length, Priyansh Arya leans into the drive and cracks the cover drive with precision for a boundary. A good positive start for PBKS, they are 10/0.
Vaibhav Arora to Prabhsimran Singh, Another one that tails back in, on the pads, on the good length, Prabhsimran Singh gets half forward and tucks it to the mid-wicket region for a single. Gets off the mark, does Prabhsimran.
Vaibhav Arora to Prabhsimran Singh, This one shapes back in, at a gentle pace of 128.5 kph, on a length, at off, Prabhsimran Singh stabs it onto the surface.
Vaibhav Arora to Prabhsimran Singh, Swings away from the batter, on off and slightly fuller, Prabhsimran Singh drives it off the front foot, straight to mid off.
Vaibhav Arora to Priyansh Arya, Drags the length a bit back, around off, worked through backward point for a single by Arya.
Vaibhav Arora to Priyansh Arya, FOUR! Eased away! Punjab Kings and Priyansh Arya are up and running in style! Vaibhav bowls it too full and shapes away from middle, Priyansh Arya prods forward and caresses it through the cover and mid off gap for a boundary.
We are all set to get going. Ajinkya Rahane has some final words for his team in the huddle. Out walk the two openers of the Punjab Kings, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh. Vaibhav Arora will open the attack for the Knight Riders. The countdown is done. Here we go!
Impact players nominated by PBKS - Harpreet Brar, Musheer Khan, Praveen Dubey, Vyshak Vijaykumar and Suryansh Shedge.
Punjab Kings (Playing XI) - Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (C), Josh Inglis (WK), Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell (In for Marcus Stoinis), Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai (In for Xavier Bartlett), Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh.
Impact players nominated by KKR - Anrich Nortje, Manish Pandey, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy and Luvnith Sisodia.
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI) - Sunil Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ajinkya Rahane (C), Venkatesh Iyer, Rovman Powell (On KKR debut) (In for Moeen Ali), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Vaibhav Arora, Chetan Sakariya (On KKR debut) (In for Ramandeep Singh), Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy.
The skipper of Kolkata Knight Riders, Ajinkya Rahane, says that it doesn’t matter when you lose the toss, about whether they would have batted or bowled first. He believes it’s about playing good cricket. He mentions that they know this wicket in and out about how it plays throughout the game. States that the positives for their side have been their bowling unit, which has bowled well. Adds that the bowling unit has improved with every game. Says that the batters are disappointed with their effort, but the coaches are putting in the hard yards, and hence he thinks the batters are confident about their game. Mentions that they are playing good cricket but in patches and in this format it’s about being brave. Further says that it’s all about capitalising on the momentum and the situation. Informs that Rovman Powell comes in for Moeen Ali and Chetan Sakariya replaces Ramandeep Singh.
The captain of Punjab Kings, Shreyas Iyer, says that since they are playing on the same deck as the last game KKR played on, it is good to bat based on the cracks in the pitch. About playing in Kolkata, he says it feels nostalgic and it is just another day to embrace for him. Adds they had a few days to see and plan on how they can counter certain conditions, and tells that it is up to their ability on how they can win matches from different situations. Informs the two changes - Glenn Maxwell and Azmatullah Omarzai are back in the side.
TOSS - Punjab Kings win the flip of the coin and they will BAT first.
Russell loves Eden Gardens and could be KKR’s X-factor if the game goes deep. But if Stoinis gets going early, PBKS will have the upper hand. In a match where small moments can swing everything, watch out for the muscle power!
Meanwhile, KKR will be banking on their big-name overseas stars — Russell, Narine, Moeen — to fire under pressure. Which approach wins today: homegrown flair or international firepower?
Meanwhile, KKR are patchy — dangerous, yes, but unpredictable too. Saturday’s showdown is not just about two points; it’s about momentum, belief, and keeping playoff dreams alive. Eden Gardens will witness fire tonight!
Their spin trio of Narine, Chakaravarthy, and Moeen can choke teams — but it won’t be easy against PBKS, who have Shreyas Iyer striking at nearly 200 against spin this IPL! A tactical chess match awaits.
With no 50+ opening stand so far this season and their bowling under scrutiny, KKR need their big guns like Russell, Narine, and Rinku to step up.
PBKS might have lost to RCB recently, but they’ve looked like a team that knows how to win key battles. Expect a fiery encounter under the Kolkata heat!
The decision to release Shreyas ahead of the mega auction was a massive talking point — and he’s made them feel it ever since!
With PBKS building around Iyer's calm but aggressive leadership and his red-hot form against spin this season, KKR will need their best game — and their sharpest tactics — to stop him tonight.
As Kolkata fights to climb back up the standings and PBKS tries to consolidate a playoff spot, history will collide with present-day pressure.
Can Shreyas Iyer’s form and Punjab's fearless attitude extend the Kings' winning streak, or will Kolkata rewrite the script?
Saturday at Eden Gardens is about redemption, pride, and survival in IPL 2025. PBKS, with their Indian core firing and overseas stars like Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis looking to click, stand in the way.
With Kolkata's hot, testing conditions and questions around the surface, expect another classic!
Squads:
Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Anukul Roy, Rovman Powell, Luvnith Sisodia, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson, Chetan Sakariya, Mayank Markande
Punjab Kings Squad: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer(c), Josh Inglis(w), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Praveen Dubey, Glenn Maxwell, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kuldeep Sen, Harnoor Singh, Vishnu Vinod, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash
The two teams clash at Eden Gardens on Saturday, with PBKS currently sitting at fifth place on the table with five wins and three losses, tallying 10 points. In contrast, defending champions KKR are under pressure, having won just three of their eight games to find themselves languishing at seventh.
PBKS’s batting in the powerplay has been a standout feature this season. The explosive top three — Priyansh Arya (254 runs at a blistering strike rate of 201.58), Prabhsimran Singh (209 runs at 168.54), and captain Shreyas Iyer (263 runs at 185.21) — have made Punjab the most aggressive side in the first six overs. Quickfire starts from Priyansh and Prabhsimran, coupled with Iyer’s calculated and classy hitting, have helped PBKS register a stunning powerplay run rate of 10.67, the best among all teams.
However, the bowling side of their powerplay story tells a different tale. PBKS have struggled to pick up early wickets, managing only 10 scalps across eight matches — the joint-lowest with Rajasthan Royals. Their bowlers have conceded 430 runs in 276 balls during the powerplay, leaking runs at 9.34 per over, the sixth-worst economy rate in this phase. They have also been hit for 50 fours and 16 sixes during this crucial period.
As PBKS look to strengthen their playoff push, tightening their bowling in the powerplay will be key to overcoming a wounded but dangerous KKR side.
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