Iyer arrives at this critical fixture after posting three successive single-digit scores, making Saturday a crucial opportunity for him to reignite his form
Shreyas Iyer (Pic: iplt20/BCCI)
Shreyas Iyer will aim to rediscover his consistency after opting to bat first as he returns to Eden Gardens, this time in opposition colours, hoping to derail Kolkata Knight Riders' playoff ambitions at Eden Gardens on Saturday.
Exactly a year ago, Iyer captained Kolkata Knight Riders to their first IPL title in a decade. Now, he returns leading a resurgent Punjab side that sits firmly in the top five with five wins from eight games. His reunion with former Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting has proven fruitful, providing Iyer the stability and space to lead assertively. So far, he has amassed 263 runs, including three half-centuries. However, Iyer arrives at this critical fixture after posting three successive single-digit scores, making Saturday a crucial opportunity for him to reignite his form, much like KL Rahul recently did with a composed unbeaten 57 against his former franchise.
On the other side, Kolkata Knight Riders find themselves desperately seeking momentum. With five defeats in their eight matches, another loss would all but seal their fate, leaving them heavily reliant on other results to reach the playoffs.
KKR's problems have been compounded by an unsettled top order, an inconsistent middle order, and a spin attack struggling to replicate its former dominance at Eden Gardens. The middle-order trio of Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh has been particularly underwhelming, prompting calls for changes. The inclusion of Caribbean powerhouse Rovman Powell could provide much-needed firepower and balance, given his explosive batting and useful pace bowling.
One of the few positives for Kolkata has been the emergence of young Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who will once again play a key role navigating the tricky spells from Punjab’s bowling spearheads, Arshdeep Singh, their leading wicket-taker with 11 scalps, and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.
Captain Ajinkya Rahane will also be under close watch. Although he has anchored innings admirably at times, his inability to accelerate during crucial moments remains a concern. Rahane, in particular, will be wary of Chahal, who dismantled KKR's batting order just last week, claiming four critical wickets during a demoralising 95-all-out collapse.
Despite their struggles, KKR’s playoff hopes are still alive. Winning five of their remaining six matches could secure a top-four spot. However, their home record — a dismal one win from four games at Eden Gardens, must drastically improve for that dream to stay alive.
KKR vs PBKS, IPL 2025: Teams
KKR: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Chetan Sakariya.
PBKS: Shreyas Iyer (c), Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Prabhsimran Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Josh Inglis, Xavier Bartlett, Kuldeep Sen, Pyla Avinash, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Harnoor Pannu, Aaron Hardie, Priyansh Arya, Azmatullah Omarzai.
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