
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, 44th Match: In the 44th match of the Indian Premier League 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders will face Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In the points table, Punjab Kings ranks fifth with 10 points, while KKR is at seventh position with only 3 wins in 8 matches. KKR will get into this match after two consecutive defeats and another defeat can make their playoff path more difficult. At the same time, Punjab Kings are also coming in this match after losing their previous match, but their situation is comparatively better. This match is very important for both teams, because both teams would like to strengthen their position.
Talking about the head-to-head record between the two teams, KKR’s upper hand has been heavy. So far, KKR has won 21 times in 34 matches, while Punjab Kings have got success 13 times. KKR’s record at Eden Gardens is also excellent, where he has won 9 out of 13 matches. However, Punjab Kings have won in some recent matches. In the first clash of this season, Punjab Kings scored 111 runs and won by 16 runs by covering KKR by 16 runs. In this match, Yuzvendra Chahal took 4 wickets, and it was successfully defending the lowest score in IPL history.
Some players will have a special watch in this match. KKR’s Venkatesh Iyer’s performance has been disappointing this season. His three single-designated score in 6 innings and 14 off 19 balls against Gujarat Titans have exposed his difficulties. Punjab fast bowler Marco Jansen can be a big threat to those who have dismissed him three times in four innings. Venkatesh’s average against Jansen is only 4.67, and Jansen is also bowling in the middle overs this season. The clash of these two will once again be seen.
Shreyas, on the other hand, started this season with great debut, but later he failed in some innings. Also, Andre Russell of Kolkata Knight Riders’ performance has been average with the bat and ball, but his record against Shreyas is good. Russell dismissed Shreyas 5 times in 9 matches, and Shreyas has been able to score only 63 runs against him at an average of 12.6.
Yuzvendra Chahal of Punjab Kings has returned to the rhythm after a slow start this season. He took 7 wickets in the last three matches, including 4 wickets against KKR. The secret of Chahal’s success is his bouncing, flight and diversities, which has strengthened the attack of over -overs between Punjab Kings.
KKR’s batting did not meet expectations this season. Last season star Sunil Naren has completely failed. Except for Ajinkya Rahane (271 runs) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, the rest of the batsmen have disappointed. Harshit Rana (11 wickets), Varun Chakraborty (10 wickets) and Vaibhav Arora (9 wickets) have done well in bowling, and will have a big responsibility against Punjab Kings.
In the batting of Punjab Kings, Prabhasimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have performed brilliantly in the powerplay. Punjab Kings have run rate of 10.67 in powerplay, which is the best among all teams. However, in bowling, only 10 wickets have come in his powerplay, which is the lowest joint. There are weaknesses in the middle-order (number 4 to 7) between the two teams. The average of KKR at this place is 20.47, which is the worst, while the 23.90 average of PBKS is not much better. Shreyas Iyer’s performance has also been different in home and outside grounds. Their average on the home ground is only 6.25, while the outside is an average of 119.
The Eden Gardens pitch is usually suited for batting, but the spinners got a turn against the Gujarat Titans in the recent match. Despite the possibility of dew, this is the same pitch, and the team winning the toss can choose the first batting. For KKR, this match is like ‘do or die’, while Punjab Kings would like to further strengthen their position. This match is expected to be exciting.
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(Tagstotranslate) Kolkata Knight Riders (T) Punjab Kings (T) Cricket