On April 15, the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur will host the 31st match of IPL 2025, as Punjab Kings (PBKS) lock horns with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Both teams are closely matched on the points table, with KKR currently in fifth place and PBKS just behind them in sixth, making this a crucial mid-season clash.
Punjab Kings have played five games so far, winning three and losing two. However, they’re coming off a disappointing outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where they lost by 8 wickets despite a valiant 82-run knock from Shreyas Iyer. The team will be keen to bounce back and reclaim momentum.
Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, have also secured three wins but from six outings. They enter this contest high on confidence after a dominant 8-wicket win over the Chennai Super Kings. Sunil Narine was the standout performer in that match, delivering with both bat and ball — scoring 44 and picking up 3 wickets.
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Historically, KKR have dominated this rivalry, winning 21 out of their 33 IPL encounters against PBKS. As both sides look to cement their place in the top half of the table, this clash promises high stakes and plenty of fireworks.
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Punjab Kings suffered a setback as Lockie Ferguson pulled his hamstring in the first over against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Fast bowling coach James Hopes confirmed Ferguson is out indefinitely, with little chance of returning this season. His absence forces PBKS to rethink their bowling attack going forward. Meanwhile, skipper Shreyas Iyer holds strong numbers against Kolkata Knight Riders — 456 runs in 14 innings at an average above 41 and a strike rate over 150 — making him a vital player against the spin threat of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy.
Probable XII: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vyshak Vijaykumar
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Yuzvendra Chahal, though struggling for form this season, boasts an impressive record against KKR with 29 wickets in 22 games. PBKS will be counting on him to rediscover his spark. KKR, on the other hand, may consider replacing Moeen Ali with Spencer Johnson to bolster their pace attack. With Andre Russell’s strong track record against Iyer and Stoinis, KKR could also use him more strategically with the ball.
Probable XII: Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Spencer Johnson/Moeen Ali, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora
Fantasy XI Suggestion 1:
Quinton de Kock, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer (vc), Ajinkya Rahane, Priyansh Arya, Sunil Narine (c), Glenn Maxwell, Moeen Ali, Marcus Stoinis, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana
Fantasy XI Suggestion 2:
Quinton de Kock (vc), Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Priyansh Arya (c), Sunil Narine, Glenn Maxwell, Moeen Ali, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana
