Kolkata: In the 19-year history of the IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have enjoyed a strong overall record against Punjab Kings (PBKS). However, at Eden Gardens today (from 7:30 PM), Kolkata will have to work extremely hard to maintain that dominance against Punjab.
Eyes ahead. Game on 💜 pic.twitter.com/qa7p8xcABr
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 6, 2026
The reason is clear- the 2025 runners-up Punjab, led by Shreyas Iyer, are in terrific form, having won both their opening matches this season.
On the other hand, three-time champions Kolkata have lost both their opening games and will be desperate to avoid a third consecutive defeat. Under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane, Kolkata faces a stern test today.
Head-to-Head Record
A total of 35 matches have been played between the two teams in IPL history. Kolkata has won 21 matches, while Punjab has secured 13 victories. One match ended without a result.
Will former KKR captain Shreyas haunt his old team?
Kolkata had won their third IPL title in 2024 under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer. Now, as Punjab’s captain, Iyer will leave no stone unturned to defeat his former franchise.
Shers at E-𝐃𝐞𝐧! 🦁 pic.twitter.com/4sDdF1J69a
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 6, 2026
Punjab packed with match-winners
Compared to Kolkata, Punjab appears to have a stronger pool of match-winners. Their lineup includes Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Arshdeep Singh.
In contrast, Kolkata currently relies on a limited set of key performers — Finn Allen and Angkrish Raghuvanshi in batting, along with Kartik Tyagi in bowling.
Probable Playing XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders:
Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Cameron Green, Manish Pandey/Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora/Navdeep Saini/Umran Malik, Varun Chakravarthy, Kartik Tyagi
12th Player: Blessing Muzarabani
Punjab Kings:
Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Cooper Connolly, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
12th Player: Xavier Bartlett.
Also Read: CSK vs RCB: Bengaluru go Top After Record Win, Chennai Suffer Hat-Trick of Defeats