PBKS vs KKR: Shreyas Iyer faces his former team as Punjab Kings take on Kolkata Knight Riders in a crucial IPL 2025 clash. With both teams eyeing momentum mid-season, expect a high-octane contest at Mullanpur’s batting-friendly pitch. Iyer’s red-hot form and KKR’s spin attack set the stage for a fiery showdown.
PBKS vs KKR: Match Details
- Fixture: Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2025
- Date: Tuesday, April 15, 2025
- Venue: Mullanpur Stadium
- Time: 7:45 PM NPT | 7:00 PM IST | 9:30 AM EST (USA)
- Where to Watch:
- India & Nepal: Star Sports Network
- USA: FuboTV
PBKS vs KKR: Head-to-Head Record
Often called the Veer-Zara encounter of IPL, Punjab-Kolkata matches are often compared with the Bollywood movie, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta, the owners of KKR and PBKS respectively.
These two teams have faced each other 33 times in the IPL. KKR has won 21 matches, while Punjab has emerged victorious 12 times.
In IPL 2024, Punjab defeated KKR by 8 wickets in their only meeting. The last time KKR beat PBKS in a significant game was the 2014 IPL Final.
Shreyas Iyer’s Redemption Story
KKR chose not to retain Shreyas Iyer ahead of IPL 2025, and that decision turned into a turning point for the stylish batter. Now leading Punjab under the guidance of Ricky Ponting, Iyer has smashed runs at a strike rate of 208.33 this season—highest among Indian batters with 100+ balls faced.
Iyer has also conquered his struggles against short balls, delivering consistent performances this season.
Spin Challenge from KKR
KKR’s strength lies in their spin duo—Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy—who have bowled 41 of KKR’s 49 spin overs. They hold the best spin economy (6.73) and average (20.62) in the tournament.
However, Iyer remains one of the few batters yet to be dismissed by spin this season.
PBKS vs KKR: Team News & Playing XI
Punjab Kings will miss Lockie Ferguson, with Xavier Bartlett or allrounders like Azmatullah Omarzai and Aaron Hardie likely to step in.
KKR will likely stick to their spin-heavy lineup as they aim to exploit the Mullanpur surface.
PBKS (Probable XI): Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai/Aaron Hardie, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh.
KKR (Probable XI): Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Moeen Ali, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy.
PBKS vs KKR: Players to Watch
- Yuzvendra Chahal (PBKS): The league’s all-time top wicket-taker has struggled this season with just two wickets in five games and an economy of 11.13.
- Ajinkya Rahane (KKR): The skipper has been the only batter from his side to cross 200 runs this season.
PBKS vs KKR: Pitch Report
Mullanpur has been a paradise for batters this season. Both matches played here saw first innings totals exceeding 200—and both were successfully defended.
Expect another run-fest on Tuesday evening. The pitch provides pace early, with some grip for spinners later. Conditions will cool from 38°C in the day to around 27°C by match time, and no rain is forecast.
The toss-winning captain may prefer to bat first, following the trend of successful defenses.
