Punjab Kings (PBKS) will welcome Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Tuesday at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. This match, number 31 of the tournament, carries major importance. Currently, PBKS sit in sixth place, while KKR are just above them in fifth.
PBKS Aim to Recover from Heavy Defeat
At the start of the season, Punjab Kings topped the table. However, they suffered a heavy loss in their last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Now, they are eager to bounce back.
In contrast, Kolkata come into this match with a win. They have won three and lost three so far, collecting six points in total. Similarly, PBKS also have six points, but from five matches instead of six.
Injury Forces Punjab to Rethink Strategy
Due to an unfortunate injury, PBKS have lost pacer Lockie Ferguson for the rest of the season. As a result, they must now revise their overseas options. They may include Xavier Bartlett or go with all-rounders like Azmatullah Omarzai or Aaron Hardie.
Moreover, Punjab will hope Glenn Maxwell steps up. However, his form has been worrying. Since IPL 2024, he has only managed 86 runs in 13 innings, averaging just 6.61. Even worse, he has been out for a duck five times.
Shreyas Iyer Returns to Face Former Team
Interestingly, this match brings Shreyas Iyer back against his old team. He led KKR to the IPL title in the last edition. Now, he will use his experience and knowledge to guide PBKS. His familiarity with the KKR squad may offer Punjab an edge.
KKR Could Tinker with Their XI Too
Meanwhile, KKR might make changes as well. South African pacer Anrich Nortje is now available, but has not yet played. If they want more pace, they could replace Moeen Ali with Spencer Johnson.
Furthermore, KKR might rely more on Andre Russell. He has a strong bowling record against key PBKS players. Notably, he has dismissed Shreyas Iyer five times in nine innings and Marcus Stoinis three times in five.
KKR Dominate Head-to-Head History
Statistically, KKR have the upper hand in head-to-head meetings. They have won 21 matches compared to PBKS’s 12. However, since 2020, both teams have beaten each other four times each, suggesting a more balanced recent record.
PBKS Coach Emphasizes Spin Battle
Speaking before the match, PBKS fast bowling coach James Hopes stressed the importance of spin matchups. He said,
“We have a lot of players in our middle order that are very good players of spin. So that becomes the match-up that we have to win tomorrow night.”
He also mentioned the need to involve Yuzvendra Chahal more in matches. Hopes added, “With our bowling attack, we need to get Yuzi [Yuzvendra Chahal] into the game more than we’re doing. He’s just struggling to get into the game at the moment. Against Chennai, just bowling the one over, a very good over at a very important time. He bowled a very good over, but it’s just getting him into the tournament. We’re five games in and for us to win the IPL, we’re going to need him.”
Weather Forecast
Fortunately, the weather in Mullanpur is expected to stay clear on Tuesday. The temperature could reach a high of 38°C during the day and drop to around 25°C at night.
Predicted Playing XIs
Punjab Kings (PBKS): Prabhsimran Singh (Wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (C), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, replacement for Lockie Ferguson
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): Quinton de Kock (Wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (C), Venkatesh Iyer, Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Vaibhav Arora