KKR vs PBKS Match Preview & Where to Watch Live? IPL 2025 Match 44

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) host the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the reverse fixture of IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on April 26. The match starts at 7:30 PM and is a must-win game for the Knight Riders. KKR has won just one out of their four home games this season so far.

KKR went down to PBKS in the first game when the two sides met. Chasing 112 runs to win, the KKR innings capitulated, and they were bowled out for 95 runs. KKR could not recover from their loss and lost their next game against Gujarat Titans by 39 runs.

Heading into this game, KKR is placed seventh on the IPL 2025 points table. Thanks to the consistent losses of SRH, CSK and RR, they have been able to still hold onto the seventh position. Punjab are placed fifth on the table and are one of the three teams on 10 points. They lost their previous match against RCB.

Also Read: IPL 2025 Match 43 CSK vs SRH Highlights: Dewald Brevis' Blitz Not Enough as Chennai Collapse at 154/10 Against Hyderabad

KKR vs PBKS Match Preview

KKR lost a match that they would have ideally won against the Punjab Kings in Mullanpur. The impact of that loss was visible in KKR's previous loss to GT at home. The pitch at the Eden Gardens has been a belter for batters. While the visiting teams are scoring huge runs at the venue, KKR, for some reason, has not been able to crack the code of winning at home this season so far. Against GT, in their previous game, they could not chase 199 runs at home. The pitch has been a constant subject of debate at Eden Gardens, and so far KKR has not been given a pitch of their liking. How the pitch plays out on Saturday will be an interesting observation. There might be a few changes in the playing XI as well, with Andre Russell not firing as expected of him. Will they replace him with Rovman Powell? It is something that can be given a thought.

The Kings under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy have had one of their best seasons so far. They are already on 10 points, and winning at the Eden Gardens will take them to 12 points. They will be confident from their previous win against KKR in Mullanpur. The batting lineup has been firing on all cylinders. The form of Glenn Maxwell is a concern, and for the moment, he has been dropped. In Yuzvendra Chahal, they have a spinner who has a very good record against KKR and will be one of their trump cards in this contest. They have the edge in this contest at Eden Gardens.

Also Read: IPL 2025: "If Majority Of Your Players Are Not Doing Well" - MS Dhoni Reacts After Loss To SRH At The Chepauk

KKR vs PBKS Head To Head

The two teams have played 34 matches, with KKR winning 21 games and PBKS 14. At Eden Gardens, KKR has a 9-4 head-to-head record against Punjab. More importantly, Punjab won the last fixture between both sides in Mullanpur.