Kolkata Knight Riders
Lucknow Super Giants
Match 21 of IPL 2025 takes us to Eden Gardens, where Kolkata Knight Riders host the Lucknow Super Giants in what's shaping up to be a pivotal mid-table clash. Both sides sit locked on four points, with KKR edging LSG to fifth place on net run rate.
After a patchy start, the defending champions roared back into form with a convincing win over Sunrisers Hyderabad—one that reasserted their threat, especially at home. The batting clicked, the bowling held firm, and they’ll want to carry that rhythm into Monday night.
Lucknow, on the other hand, have been hot and cold. Their campaign has lacked consistency, and while they’ve shown flashes of brilliance, they’ll need a more complete performance to trouble KKR in their own backyard. The pressure’s on for the Super Giants to show they can challenge the big guns this season.
With both sides at 2-2, this one’s more than just another fixture—it’s a tone-setter.
With Venkatesh, Rinku, and Russell in form, the Kolkata Knight Riders are likely to hit more sixes than LSG.
The betting tip is...
Most Match Sixes – KKR
68 %
32 %
Kolkata Knight RidersLucknow Super GiantsKolkata Knight Riders finally look like they’ve shaken off the early-season rust. That 80-run drubbing of Sunrisers Hyderabad was as convincing as it gets 200 on the board, and then a ruthless bowling display to knock SRH over for 120.
The innings had its bumps—two quick wickets to start—but Rahane’s experience at one-down (38 off 27) and a composed fifty from young Raghuvanshi gave them the platform. Once Venkatesh Iyer (60 off 29) cut loose and Rinku Singh (32* off 17) did what he does best at the death, 200 was always going to be more than enough.
The top order still hasn’t quite clicked, but Rahane’s steadiness and Raghuvanshi’s fearless stroke play offer some reassurance. Down the order, the firepower is back—Venkatesh and Rinku's hitting form is a big plus heading into this home stretch.
With the ball, they were right on the money. Vaibhav Arora’s 3/29 up front set the tone, and the spin duo of Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine choked SRH through the middle. Varun picked up three, Narine kept it tight, and together, they’ll be key again on this slow Eden pitch.
KKR might throw in Russell and Harshit Rana as the seam options, and KKR have the right tools to defend totals or tighten the screws in a chase.
Predicted Lineup: Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, , Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh , Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora Impact Player: Angkrish Raghuvanshi
Lucknow Super Giants continue to blow hot and cold this season. Their latest outing saw them edge past Mumbai Indians by 12 runs in a high-scoring affair, taking them to sixth on the table with two wins from four. They posted 203-8 and managed to hold off MI at 191, thanks largely to Mitchell Marsh’s fireworks at the top.
Marsh hammered 60 off 31 to give the innings real momentum, while Aiden Markram chipped in with a steady 53—his first real contribution of the season. Nicholas Pooran, ever-reliable in the middle, continues to be LSG’s most consistent performer and has a solid record at Eden Gardens. Don’t be surprised if he puts up another 30-plus score here.
However, the batting unit still feels under pressure. Rishabh Pant’s nightmare form (19 runs in 4 games) isn’t helping, and David Miller has yet to look like his usual self. That’s left extra work for the likes of Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad, who’ve done their bit with the odd cameo but can’t carry the middle order alone.
Bowling-wise, Shardul Thakur’s picked up seven wickets but at a big cost—his economy’s taken a hit, going over 10 an over. Ravi Bishnoi hasn’t fared much better, struggling for control with just three wickets and a ballooning economy rate of 12.
One bright spot is Digvesh Singh Rathi, who’s looked sharp—six wickets from four games and going at just 7.62. LSG will need him to step up again.
Predicted Lineup: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan Impact Player: Ravi Bishnoi
KKR look better balanced going into this one, especially at home where their spinners thrive. With Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh back in form and Varun-Narine likely to choke LSG’s shaky middle order, Kolkata should have the edge. Unless Pooran plays a blinder, expect KKR to grab their third win.
