After failing to defend a massive total against Sunrisers Hyderabad due to a stunning knock by Abhishek Sharma, Punjab Kings will be eager to return to winning ways. They will face the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Tuesday evening at 7:30 PM in Mullanpur.
Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings currently stand sixth on the points table with three wins and two losses from five matches. Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders are placed fifth with three wins and three losses in six matches.
Punjab Failed to Defend 245 Against Hyderabad
It’s rare for a team to lose after posting 245 runs, but Punjab experienced that against SRH in their last match. Abhishek Sharma played a blistering knock of 141 off just 55 balls, guiding Hyderabad to a memorable chase. Despite scoring 82 off 36 balls himself, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer was left helpless as his bowlers struggled. The match was played in Hyderabad, where no score seems safe.
Batting-Friendly Pitch at Mullanpur
Punjab will now play at home, where the pitch has favoured batsmen so far. In the two matches played here, teams batting first have scored over 200 runs. Punjab’s team management must decide what kind of conditions they want to play in. Their bowling unit’s confidence would have taken a hit, especially spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Glenn Maxwell, who together gave away 96 runs in 7 overs in the last match.
Beware of Kolkata’s Power-Hitters
Punjab could find themselves confused about pitch conditions. If they opt for a flat track again, there’s no guarantee their bowlers can defend even 220 against a strong KKR batting lineup featuring Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, and Venkatesh Iyer. One worrying stat for coach Ricky Ponting is that none of his bowlers has an economy rate below 9. Chahal, normally dependable, has conceded 11.13 runs per over in five matches and has just two wickets to his name.
Also Read- PBKS vs KKR- Mullanpur Stadium Pitch Report Today Match IPL 2025
PBKS Rely on Improved Shows from Maxwell and Stoinis
Opting for a slow pitch may also backfire for Punjab, as KKR have quality spinners in Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine, who thrive in such conditions. KKR have proven themselves on both flat and turning tracks, defeating CSK at their home ground. PBKS batting heavily relies on skipper Iyer (250 runs), who has scored three fifties in five matches. Priyansh Arya (194 runs) has been the find of the season, while Nehal Wadhera (141), Prabhsimran Singh (133), and finisher Shashank Singh (108) have also contributed. However, their biggest weakness has been the poor form of Australians Glenn Maxwell (34 runs) and Marcus Stoinis (59 runs).
Probable Playing XIs
Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer (C), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Suryansh Shedge, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh.
Impact Player: Nehal Wadhera
Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (WK), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (C), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Impact Player: Angkrish Raghuvanshi
