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Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders
📍 Venue: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur
🗓️ Date: April 15, 2025 | 🕢 Time: 7:30 PM IST
🟠 Team Overview
Less than a year ago, Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to IPL glory. Fast forward to IPL 2025, he now finds himself captaining Punjab Kings (PBKS) against his former side. PBKS have shown flashes of brilliance but remain inconsistent. KKR, while boasting one of the strongest spin attacks, are still trying to find rhythm.
PBKS have three wins from five matches and are gradually building momentum. KKR, with three wins from six games, remain in the mid-table zone and will be eyeing consistency moving forward.
🤝 Head-to-Head Record
Total Matches: 33
KKR Wins: 21
PBKS Wins: 12
Last Encounter: PBKS chased a record 262 at Eden Gardens, marking a historic run-chase in T20 cricket.
Despite that sensational recent win, KKR still enjoy a clear edge in the head-to-head tally.
🏟️ Pitch and Weather Conditions
Mullanpur has been a batting-friendly venue, with 200+ first innings totals in both matches played here this season — and each time, those totals were successfully defended. Expect another high-scoring game.
Weather: Sunny and hot during the day (38°C), cooling down to around 27°C in the evening.
Spin Factor: Spinners average 30.12 here, which could bring KKR’s spin trio into play.
🌟 Key Players to Watch
🔥 Shreyas Iyer (PBKS)
IPL 2025 Strike Rate: 208.33 (2nd highest for batters with 100+ balls)
Unbeaten against spin this season
Facing former team adds extra motivation
🎯 Sunil Narine & Varun Chakravarthy (KKR)
Have bowled 41 out of 49 overs of spin for KKR
Combined economy: 6.73
Key threat against PBKS middle-order
🧠 Yuzvendra Chahal (PBKS)
Most IPL wickets ever, but struggling this season
Economy: 11.13, Avg: 83.50 – needs to bounce back
🧨 Ajinkya Rahane (KKR)
Only KKR batter with 200+ runs this season
Anchored key innings but needs more support from top order
📉 Form Guide (Last 5 Matches)
Punjab Kings: ❌ ✅ ❌ ✅ ✅
Kolkata Knight Riders: ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ✅
Both sides have alternated between wins and losses, making this clash crucial to their playoff hopes.
🎯 In the Spotlight
🧪 Shreyas Iyer vs Narine & Varun
Iyer vs Narine: 42 runs off 35 balls (1 dismissal)
Iyer vs Varun: 38 runs off 22 balls (1 dismissal)
Knows their game from KKR nets, which could give him the edge
🧪 Chahal & Maxwell under pressure
PBKS invested heavily – INR 18 crore on Chahal and INR 4.2 crore on Maxwell. Both have underdelivered. Maxwell has scored just 34 runs in 4 innings, and Chahal has been expensive and wicketless. Their performances could define PBKS’s campaign.
📊 Key Stats
PBKS successfully chased 262 vs KKR last season – the highest T20 chase ever
KKR are yet to record a 50+ opening partnership this season. Highest is 46.
Varun Chakravarthy has taken 14 wickets in 9 matches with an impressive economy of 7.21.
Venkatesh Iyer is KKR’s leading run-scorer with 297 runs at a strike rate of 163.18
📋 Squads
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Prabhsimran Singh (wk)
Priyansh Arya
Shreyas Iyer (capt)
Nehal Wadhera
Shashank Singh
Glenn Maxwell
Marcus Stoinis
Azmatullah Omarzai / Aaron Hardie
Marco Jansen
Yuzvendra Chahal
Arshdeep Singh
Yash Thakur
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Quinton de Kock (wk)
Sunil Narine
Ajinkya Rahane (capt)
Angkrish Raghuvanshi
Venkatesh Iyer
Rinku Singh
Andre Russell
Ramandeep Singh
Moeen Ali
Harshit Rana
Vaibhav Arora
Varun Chakravarthy
🔮 Match Prediction
This one promises to be tightly contested. If it’s a high-scoring game, PBKS have the firepower to capitalize. However, if the pitch grips and slows down in the second innings, KKR’s spin trio could strangle the chase.
✅ Prediction:
On a flat deck: PBKS slight favorites with Iyer in form and home advantage
On a spin-assisting track: KKR hold the edge with Narine, Varun, and Moeen
✅ Conclusion
This match has everything – narrative, star power, strategy, and playoff implications. Shreyas Iyer’s face-off with his former team adds an emotional layer to what’s already a tactical battle between spin strength and batting firepower. Fans can expect a thriller under the Mullanpur lights!
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