Punjab Kings (PBKS) will be looking to bounce back from a morale-sapping defeat when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Mullanpur on Tuesday. PBKS were left stunned in their previous outing as Abhishek Sharma's 141 off 55 balls overshadowed their massive 245-run total. The loss exposed Punjab's struggling bowling and sloppy fielding, with the team having already dropped 12 catches this season.
The biggest concern lies in the bowling department, where even seasoned spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has leaked runs at 11.13 economy. With Lockie Ferguson ruled out indefinitely due to injury and Marco Jansen also struggling, Punjab’s attack looks vulnerable — especially against a KKR unit brimming with confidence after thrashing CSK in Chennai.
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The batting has shown promise, led by skipper Shreyas Iyer (250 runs), and emerging talents like Priyansh Arya and Shashank Singh. However, underperforming overseas stars Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis remain a concern.
Who's that IPL player?
As PBKS contemplate pitch conditions — flat or spin-friendly — they’ll be wary of KKR's versatile spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. With back-to-back matches lined up against KKR and RCB, Punjab's season could hinge on how they respond this week.
PBKS vs KKR: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium pitch report
The pitch offered balanced conditions with a few dry patches aiding both batters and bowlers. The larger square boundary (69m) and a 74m straight boundary made placement key for runs. Batting remained steady throughout, but bowlers found success with disciplined lengths. Overpitched deliveries came on nicely for batters to drive, while shorter balls sat up well. The key on this surface is hitting a good length consistently, which keeps the batters in check and prevents easy scoring. Overall, it’s a surface that rewards smart bowling and calculated strokeplay.
PBKS vs KKR: Playing XI team prediction
Punjab Kings predicted XI: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (w), Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett
PBKS Impact Sub: Josh Inglis/Yash Thakur
Kolkata Knight Riders predicted XI: Quinton de Kock (w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy
KKR Impact Sub: Angkrish Raghuvanshi/Manish Pandey
PBKS vs KKR: Squads
Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, Xavier Bartlett, Kuldeep Sen, Pyla Avinash, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Harnoor Pannu, Aaron Hardie, Priyansh Arya, Azmatullah Omarzai
Kolkata Knight Riders: 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 vs KKR: Head to Head
Defending champions KKR hold a dominant edge over PBKS, winning 21 of their 33 encounters. Punjab have managed 12 victories. Heading into this clash, KKR also carry momentum with a recent win, while PBKS are looking to bounce back from a disappointing defeat in their previous outing.
PBKS vs KKR: Weather report
Very warm with sunshine. High of 37°C and low of 24°C. During match time, expect clear skies, starting in the mid-30s temperature and cooling to the high 20s by the end.
The biggest concern lies in the bowling department, where even seasoned spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has leaked runs at 11.13 economy. With Lockie Ferguson ruled out indefinitely due to injury and Marco Jansen also struggling, Punjab’s attack looks vulnerable — especially against a KKR unit brimming with confidence after thrashing CSK in Chennai.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
The batting has shown promise, led by skipper Shreyas Iyer (250 runs), and emerging talents like Priyansh Arya and Shashank Singh. However, underperforming overseas stars Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis remain a concern.
Who's that IPL player?
As PBKS contemplate pitch conditions — flat or spin-friendly — they’ll be wary of KKR's versatile spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. With back-to-back matches lined up against KKR and RCB, Punjab's season could hinge on how they respond this week.
PBKS vs KKR: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium pitch report
The pitch offered balanced conditions with a few dry patches aiding both batters and bowlers. The larger square boundary (69m) and a 74m straight boundary made placement key for runs. Batting remained steady throughout, but bowlers found success with disciplined lengths. Overpitched deliveries came on nicely for batters to drive, while shorter balls sat up well. The key on this surface is hitting a good length consistently, which keeps the batters in check and prevents easy scoring. Overall, it’s a surface that rewards smart bowling and calculated strokeplay.
PBKS vs KKR: Playing XI team prediction
Punjab Kings predicted XI: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (w), Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett
PBKS Impact Sub: Josh Inglis/Yash Thakur
Kolkata Knight Riders predicted XI: Quinton de Kock (w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy
KKR Impact Sub: Angkrish Raghuvanshi/Manish Pandey
PBKS vs KKR: Squads
Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, Xavier Bartlett, Kuldeep Sen, Pyla Avinash, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Harnoor Pannu, Aaron Hardie, Priyansh Arya, Azmatullah Omarzai
Kolkata Knight Riders: 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 vs KKR: Head to Head
Defending champions KKR hold a dominant edge over PBKS, winning 21 of their 33 encounters. Punjab have managed 12 victories. Heading into this clash, KKR also carry momentum with a recent win, while PBKS are looking to bounce back from a disappointing defeat in their previous outing.
PBKS vs KKR: Weather report
Very warm with sunshine. High of 37°C and low of 24°C. During match time, expect clear skies, starting in the mid-30s temperature and cooling to the high 20s by the end.
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