IPL 2025 UPDATE: Just a year ago, Shreyas Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to IPL glory. On Tuesday in Mullanpur, he will take the field against them—this time as captain of Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2025.
Ahead of the season, KKR retained six players, but Iyer didn’t make the cut. The move to PBKS, coupled with a reunion with coach Ricky Ponting, has sparked a stunning transformation in Iyer’s game.
In IPL 2024, Iyer boasted a solid strike rate of 146.86. This season, he has taken things up several notches—his strike rate now stands at a staggering 208.33, the highest among Indian batters who’ve faced at least 100 balls. Overall, only Nicholas Pooran has fared better in that metric.
Perhaps even more impressive is Iyer’s evolution against pace. Once troubled by short-pitched bowling, he has now turned it into a scoring opportunity, consistently putting fast bowlers under pressure.
However, his next challenge comes against spin—specifically, the most potent spin attack of the season. KKR’s spin duo, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, have combined to bowl 41 of their team’s 49 spin overs. Their dominance is reflected in the numbers: KKR’s spinners boast the best average (20.62) and economy rate (6.73) in the tournament so far.
Interestingly, Iyer has yet to be dismissed by spin this season. His familiarity with both Narine and Chakravarthy, honed during training sessions in the KKR nets, could work in PBKS’s favour.
Still, both teams come into this clash with patchy records—PBKS have won three of their five matches, while KKR have three wins from six. With the tournament heating up, Iyer and his former side will be desperate for consistency before time runs out.
Form Guide
Punjab Kings: L W L W W
Kolkata Knight Riders: W L W L W
Here’s a rewritten version of the “Team News and Likely XIs” section with a clean, professional tone and improved flow—perfect for a match preview article or report:
Team News and Likely XIs
Punjab Kings (PBKS) are dealing with a major setback as Lockie Ferguson is all but ruled out of the tournament due to an injury sustained against Sunrisers Hyderabad. His absence forces a rethink in their overseas combination. To fill the void, PBKS could turn to Xavier Bartlett as a frontline pace option, or opt for a pace-bowling all-rounder like Azmatullah Omarzai or Aaron Hardie.
Probable PBKS XII:
- Prabhsimran Singh (wk)
- Priyansh Arya
- Shreyas Iyer (capt)
- Nehal Wadhera
- Shashank Singh
- Glenn Maxwell
- Marcus Stoinis
- Azmatullah Omarzai / Aaron Hardie
- Marco Jansen
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Arshdeep Singh
- Yash Thakur
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) enter the fixture with renewed confidence after handing Chennai Super Kings a record fifth consecutive loss. On a turning track in Chepauk, KKR’s spin trio—Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Moeen Ali—were unplayable. With spinners averaging 30.12 in Mullanpur this season, the conditions might once again favor KKR’s slow bowlers.
Probable KKR XII:
- Quinton de Kock (wk)
- Sunil Narine
- Ajinkya Rahane (capt)
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Rinku Singh
- Andre Russell
- Ramandeep Singh
- Moeen Ali
- Harshit Rana
- Vaibhav Arora
- Varun Chakravarthy
In the Spotlight
Yuzvendra Chahal (PBKS):
The veteran spinner has yet to make an impact this season. Despite bowling 15 overs across five matches, Chahal has picked up only a handful of wickets, averaging a costly 83.50 and conceding runs at an economy of 11.13. This is a surprising slump for the IPL’s all-time leading wicket-taker, who consistently picked up 18+ wickets every season from 2019 to 2024. PBKS invested INR 18 crore in him, and they’ll be hoping he finds his rhythm soon.
Ajinkya Rahane (KKR):
Rahane has been the batting mainstay for KKR this season, being the only player from the team to cross the 200-run mark. Since being unleashed by CSK in 2023-24, Rahane’s T20 form has seen a revival—evident in his performance as the top scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25. However, his dismissal for 61 in a high-scoring chase against LSG at Eden Gardens proved to be the turning point in a narrow defeat.
The Big Question
PBKS spent heavily at the auction—INR 18 crore on Yuzvendra Chahal and INR 4.2 crore on Glenn Maxwell. So far, neither has delivered. Chahal’s lack of wickets is troubling, while Maxwell has managed only 34 runs in four innings. If PBKS are serious about making a deep playoff run, their star players need to step up—starting now.
Here’s a rewritten and well-structured version of the Pitch & Conditions and Stats & Trivia sections for your match preview:
Pitch and Conditions
The pitch at Mullanpur has been a batting paradise so far. Both matches played at this venue this season have witnessed first-innings scores in excess of 200, with the team batting first successfully defending the total on both occasions. Expect another high-scoring contest on Tuesday, especially with temperatures forecast to dip to a pleasant 27°C in the evening after peaking at 38°C earlier in the day. Dew is unlikely to play a major role, giving bowlers a fair shot under lights.
Stats and Trivia
- Record Chase Reminder: The last time these two sides met, PBKS chased down a T20 record 262 at Eden Gardens—an unforgettable showdown. However, in terms of head-to-head overall, KKR lead the rivalry 21-12.
- Iyer vs Spin Twins: Shreyas Iyer holds a decent record against his former teammates. He has scored 42 runs off 35 balls against Sunil Narine and 38 off 22 balls against Varun Chakravarthy, with both bowlers having dismissed him once each in T20s.
- Top-Order Trouble for KKR: In six innings so far this season, KKR have not posted a fifty-run opening stand. Their best opening partnership remains 46 runs, achieved by Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine while chasing a modest total against CSK.
Here’s a refined and cohesive version of the Quotes section, formatted for use in a match preview or feature article:
Quotes
Ramandeep Singh on Leadership Styles:
“I think Ajinkya Rahane brings a lot of calmness in the dugout. He’s the type of player that every youngster should idolise. His personality, the way he keeps himself around the game—everyone knows how he performs. Meanwhile, Shreyas has a very confident nature, executes his plans well. I don’t think there’s anything lacking in either of them, but their styles of play are quite different.”
Ramandeep offers a balanced perspective on the contrasting leadership styles of his former and current captains.
James Hopes on PBKS’ Upcoming Fixtures:
“We’re in a good spot in the competition where we’ve got a big week coming up against the same two oppositions—KKR and RCB. That’s just the way the draw has worked for us. We’ve got them for the next four games, so if we can have a good week, we’re going to be well placed going into the back half of the season.”
PBKS fast-bowling coach James Hopes highlights the importance of consistency as they gear up for a critical stretch of fixtures.
