Captain & Vice-Captain Picks
Sunil Narine
Phil Salt
Top 5 Must-Pick Players
Sunil Narine
Phil Salt
Varun Chakravarthy
Andre Russell
Sam Curran
Full Player Rankings
| # | Player | Team | Role | Credits | Form | Venue | Pitch | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Sunil Narine | | All-rounder | 9.5 | 80 | 22.5 | 18 | 97.9 |
| VC | Phil Salt | | WK-Batter | 9.5 | 82 | 19.5 | 16.5 | 92.6 |
| 3 | Varun Chakravarthy | | Bowler | 8.5 | 78 | 21 | 18 | 90.5 |
| 4 | Andre Russell | | All-rounder | 9.5 | 72 | 19.5 | 16.5 | 89.7 |
| 5 | Sam Curran | | All-rounder | 9 | 76 | 15 | 18 | 88.9 |
| 6 | Kagiso Rabada | | Bowler | 9.5 | 82 | 15 | 18 | 86.5 |
| 7 | Venkatesh Iyer | | All-rounder | 8.5 | 68 | 18 | 16.5 | 86.3 |
| 8 | Liam Livingstone | | All-rounder | 9 | 70 | 15 | 16.5 | 84 |
| 9 | Arshdeep Singh | | Bowler | 8.5 | 78 | 15 | 16.5 | 83.1 |
| 10 | Shikhar Dhawan | | Batter | 9 | 62 | 15 | 15 | 74.1 |
Pitch Report — Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens under lights offers something for everyone — pace, bounce, and spin. The wicket rewards good cricket. Par score is 170-180, and the dew factor becomes significant after 8 PM.
Chase preferred at Eden. Dew is a constant companion at this ground, making bowling second very difficult.
Head-to-Head Record
Kolkata Knight Riders hold a comfortable 16-12 lead over Punjab Kings. KKR's superior squad depth and match-winning all-rounders in Narine and Russell have given them a consistent edge in this rivalry.
KKR vs PBKS — Match Preview
Defending champions KKR at Eden Gardens against Punjab Kings. KKR's title defense is built around their unbeatable home record at Eden, where the combination of spinning conditions and an electric crowd makes them nearly impossible to beat. PBKS must find a way to handle Narine and Chakravarthy while also managing Russell's death-overs fireworks. Rabada vs Russell at the death could be the decisive battle.
Why Watch This Match
- KKR defending their title on home turf
- Andre Russell in death overs vs Rabada's yorkers — box office cricket
- Phil Salt's explosive opening vs PBKS's new-ball attack
- Can PBKS finally crack Eden Gardens? History says no.