Shreyas Iyer: We are batting first. Since we are playing on the same wicket they played on. Can see a few cracks, will get an idea on how its playing.

Punjab Kings have won the toss and have opted to bat

Right then, it's toss time..

Pitch report by Matthew Hayden, Graeme Swann: The square boundaries are 62m and 64m respectively, while it's 75m straight down the ground. As a spinner it'll be difficult to defend with the smaller boundaries. The pitch looks pretty decent. There are a few bare patches around the good length area with a bit of grass around it. Looks like a pretty dry surface, probably the third game of the season played on this wicket. Scoring runs has been difficult. The mystery spinners will be in action tonight. Need to hit the hard lengths, will be tricky in terms of batting. Scoring runs will be comparatively easier against the pace bowlers.

On that note, welcome to our live coverage of the 44th clash of IPL 2025! It's Kolkata Knight Riders vs Shreyas Iyer again. The former KKR skipper pulled off a heist against the defending champions as Punjab Kings defended the lowest IPL total just a couple of weeks ago and since that loss it has been a downward side for the Knight Riders. Shreyas Iyer's appointment as the skipper has definitely instilled a lot of positivity and confidence in Punjab Kings' contingent and that is pretty evident in their performance and outcomes. Shreyas has played some fantastic knocks and his bowlers have come up with some excellent performances to clinch crucial wins over the last few weeks. KKR on the other hand have been lethargic with their approach and most of their batters are out of form, hence making a comeback from this situation is improbable. Need some intensity to ace this format which is clearly lacking this season. Stay around for the toss and teams..

18:25 Local Time, 12:55 GMT, 18:25 IST: A lot was expected from the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League and it’s been more than a month since the showpiece event started. There have been some thrilling contests and last-ball finishes and there has been some drama too, but that spark of yesteryears has definitely gone missing. There was a time when the standard of fielding in IPL was top-notch. When the Pollards were around, AB de Villers taking those stunners in the outfield, DJ Bravo taking some breathtaking catches and many more. We got to see a glimpse of it last night. That spectacular take by Kamindu Mendis to dismiss Dewald Brevis rolled back the clock. With so many straightforward catches being dropped this season, that was refreshing to see. Hopefully we get to see many such efforts as we inch closer to the business end of the season.

Preview

Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings are set to clash again. Just a little over ten days after that bonkers of a game that sawPBKS successfully defend 111. Their meeting prior to that match was in IPL 2024 - a contest that saw PBKS chase down 262 in quite spectacular fashion. So their last two matches have seen the lowest score defended successfully in IPL and the highest score chased down successfully in the tournament's history. What will they now serve on Saturday?

One thing that stands out in both those matches is that Punjab Kings emerged out on top both times. KKR would hope that it's third time lucky for them. Not just to avenge those losses but to put their own current campaign back on track. The defending champions have been erratic. There are six teams who are better placed than them right now to finish in the playoff spots and PBKS are one of them. So a statement win against an in-form team can certainly do wonders to their morale.

PBKS on the other hand will look to bounce back from the defeat to RCB in their last game. Still toying around with their overseas combinations, PBKS have been heavily reliant on their Indian players so far in this campaign. A big contribution from the likes of Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis would push their title credentials further.

When: April 26, 2025 at 7:30 PM IST

Where: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

What to expect: Hot temperatures will greet both sides but what surface they will play on remains to be seen. There's been plenty of talk about the pitches in Kolkata but given what Yuzvendra Chahal did ten days ago, KKR might want to think twice about playing on a slow surface.

Team news

Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR finally made a change up top giving Rahmanullah Gurbaz a game. While he didn't make an impact, they will likely stick with him once again.

Tactics & Match-ups:

Venkatesh Iyer hasn't really set IPL 2025 on fire. But given Rahane's struggles against spin this season, the left-hander will become a crucial player in the middle order. He also has a pretty good record against Chahal. There is a case for Russell to take on Chahal as well considering he has scored 99 runs off 50 balls against the legspinner.

Probable XII: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (C), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Moeen Ali/Rovman Powell, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora

Punjab Kings

Despite tasting defeat in the last game, PBKS might want to stick to the same combination.

Tactics & Match-ups:

Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy and Moeen Ali are amongst the most economical bowlers (minimum 10 overs bowled) in IPL 2025. If the surface at Eden does aid spin for this fixture, someone like Shreyas Iyer becomes absolutely crucial to PBKS' fortunes. He is yet to be dismissed by spin this season and strikes at almost 196 against the tweakers in IPL 2025.

Probable XII: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar/Vyshak Vijaykumar

Did you know:

- Before this season, there has been a different winner in every alternate game between these two sides since 2020

- KKR have won 9 out of the 13 IPL games against PBKS in Kolkata, which is the second most by a team against an opponent at a particular venue

- KKR are the only team without a 50-plus opening stand this season so far.

Squads:

Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Anukul Roy, Rovman Powell, Luvnith Sisodia, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson, Chetan Sakariya, Mayank Markande

Punjab Kings Squad: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer(c), Josh Inglis(w), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Praveen Dubey, Glenn Maxwell, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kuldeep Sen, Harnoor Singh, Vishnu Vinod, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash