🏏IPL 2025 - Match 44: PBKS vs KKR, 26 April 2025 @ 7:30 PM IST🏏 - Page 3

Lens on Venkatesh Iyer

Venkatesh Iyer is a player that the Kolkata Knight Riders have high hopes from. But this season, he has been lacklustre with the bat, scoring 135 runs in the eight innings he has had the chance to pad up. Almost half of those 135 runs came from a single knock of 60.

For KKR, Iyer needs to come good. They bet big on him more than once. In fact, they had retained him ahead of Shubman Gill before IPL 2022. While the KKR team needed a savior against the Gujarat Titans in their previous IPL game, Iyer could only manage a scratchy and laborious 14 runs off 19 balls.

What will make the challenge harder today is the fact that he will have to face Marco Jansen, who has dismissed Iyer thrice in four innings, while the batter has managed to score just 14 runs at an average of 4.67.

KKR batters low on confidence?

After the Kolkata Knight Riders slumped to another defeat — their fifth in eight games — this time to the Gujarat Titans in their last IPL 2025 game, Kolkata mentor Dwayne Bravo suggested that plenty of their batters had “lost confidence”. Coming into the clash with PBKS, the defending champions are in a race to resurrect their IPL 2025 campaign.

"I don't think we actually had the team batting properly. So that is the reality," Bravo told Cricbuzz. "(Andre) Russell is not the only one who is struggling at the moment. IPL is a tough tournament. And when you don't start well, batsmen go into a period where they lose confidence. And that's what's happening at the moment. We just have to keep backing them and hopefully they come good."

Both Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders come into this IPL 2025 game with defeats in their last IPL game. Punjab were handed a seven-wicket defeat by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at their home on Sunday while the next day Kolkata were handed a 39-run defeat by the Gujarat Titans at home.

Coming into this game, KKR are seventh in the IPL 2025 standings with three wins from eight games. Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, are six points away from the top of the IPL 2025 standings.

Leading from the front

For both teams in today’s clash, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, their captains have shown the way at least with the bat. This is why Ajinkya Rahane, the man taking over the reins of captaincy at KKR from Shreyas Iyer, is at 12th spot in the Orange Cap race, with 271 runs to his name from 8 games. Shreyas, meanwhile, is one spot below in the standings, with 263 runs from eight innings.

Milestone Alerts

• Shreyas Iyer needs 12 fours to complete 300 IPL fours
• Ajinkya Rahane needs 83 runs to reach 5000 IPL runs
• Marcus Stoinis needs 67 runs for 2000 IPL runs and 2 sixes to reach 100 sixes

Common KKR aaj jeetna hai plz

Itni garmi mein kkr waalon ko itne deep color kaa dress nahin pehenna chahiye

Originally posted by: Savera84

Eden Gardens stadium, Kolkata: IPL T20 stats

KKR at Eden Gardens stadium

KKR have played 92 games at Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata, out of which they have won 53 matches while losing 39.

PBKS at Eden Gardens stadium

PBKS have played just 13 matches at Eden Gardens stadium against KKR, in which they have won four while losing nine.

Key cricket stats at Eden Gardens, Kolkata (in T20s since 2023 IPL)

• Matches – 19, Bat 1st won – 10, Bat 2nd won – 9
• Avg 1st inns score – 191/7
• Lowest total defended (excl shortened matches) – 176, Highest target chased – 262
• 200+ totals: 13 times in 17 matches | Sixes per match – 19
• Pace: Overs% – 56, Wkts – 114, Avg – 33.1, Eco – 10.5
• Spin: Overs% – 44, Wkts – 88, Avg – 26.6, Eco – 8.4

Winning score at Eden Gardens stadium, Kolkata (in T20s since 2023 IPL)

• 1st inns score 200 or above: Mts – 9, Bat 1st won – 7, Bat 2nd won – 2
• 1st inns score less than 200: Mts – 10, Bat 1st won – 3, Bat 2nd won – 7

Recent match at Eden Gardens

The last IPL match here was Match 39 of IPL 2025 between Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans. KKR invited GT to bat first, who, with the help of half-centuries from Shubman Gill (90) and Sai Sudharsan (52), posted 198 runs on the board. In reply, KKR, despite a fighting fifty from skipper Rahane, could only reach 159 for 8 after 20 overs as GT secured a comfortable 39-run victory.

Other key stats at Eden Gardens

Eden Gardens in Kolkata, one of the most iconic venues in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has hosted numerous thrilling encounters and unforgettable moments. As of the 2025 season, the stadium has been the venue for 97 IPL matches. Historically, teams batting second have found more success here, securing 56 wins, which accounts for 57.73 per cent of the matches, while teams batting first have won 41 times, making up 42.27 per cent of the outcomes.

Thanks for the tag Savera ji!

*If* KKR hopes to have a shot at play offs, this is the last shot in their string, don’t think they are getting any more chances. PBKS will try just as hard. May the best team win

Originally posted by: SlatePencil

Itni garmi mein kkr waalon ko itne deep color kaa dress nahin pehenna chahiye

Sirf underwear pehen ke khelna chahiye. Lux Macho. Apna luck pehen ke chalo.

Inse na ho payega....next year ki Taiyaari karni padegi ab.

We are coming to you ...CSK Fans.