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Kolkata Knight Riders
Punjab Kings
Kolkata Knight Riders will face Punjab Kings in the 12th match of IPL 2026 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. KKR will enter this match under pressure after losing both of their opening games against MI and SRH.
Their net run rate stands at -1.964, placing them 9th on the table. PBKS will come with better momentum after chasing successfully against GT in their first match. They are currently 5th with a positive net run rate of 0.509.
PBKS will rely on their top order, which delivered in the previous game and showed stability while chasing. KKRβs batting unit showed promise in the first match but failed to repeat the same performance in the second game. In recent head-to-head meetings, PBKS have had the edge with 3 wins in the last 5 matches. However, KKR still lead the overall record with 21 wins out of 35 matches.
Cameron Green has scored low in both matches so far and will face a strong PBKS attack with left-arm pace and quality spin that have already taken wickets consistently.
The betting tip is...
Cameron Green - Under 25.5 runs
71 %
29 %
Kolkata Knight RidersPunjab KingsFinn Allen opened alongside captain Ajinkya Rahane. Allen scored 37 off 17 in the first match and followed it with 28 off 7 in the second. Rahane scored 67 off 40 in the first match but managed only 8 off 10 in the second.
Cameron Green had another low outing with the bat. Angkrish Raghuvanshi delivered consistent performances, scoring 51 off 29 in the first match and 52 off 29 in the second. Rinku Singh remained steady, scoring 33* off 21 in the first match and 35 off 25 in the second.
Blessing Muzarabani bounced back with 4/41 in the second match after going wicketless in the first. Vaibhav Arora picked up 2/47, while Kartik Tyagi conceded 48 runs for 1 wicket. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy went wicketless and were expensive. Expect some changes in bowling.
Allen, Raghuvanshi and Rinku are the key batters in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Blessing Muzarabani, Umran Malik (Impact Player)
Punjab Kingsβ opening pair of Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya stayed in focus, with both having scored over 400 runs last season. Prabhsimran contributed 37 off 24 in the last match.
Cooper Connolly was promoted to number three and delivered with an unbeaten 72 off 44 balls. Shreyas Iyer batted at number four, completing a stable top order. The top four formed the batting core.
Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh added finishing strength in the lower middle order. Marco Jansen led the pace attack and contributed as a lower-order hitter. Arshdeep Singh remained a reliable bowling option. Yuzvendra Chahal provided experience and picked up 2/28 in the last match, while Vijaykumar Vyshak impressed with 3/34.
Prabhsimran, Connolly and Iyer are the key batters in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yuzvendra Chahal (Impact Player)
Punjab Kings will start as the stronger side in this match based on current form, recent head-to-head and team balance. Their batting unit looks stable, and their bowlers have shown better control and wicket-taking ability.
Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh will challenge the top order with the new ball, while Yuzvendra Chahal will add pressure in the middle overs with his immense T20 experience.
KKRβs batting has shown some consistency through Raghuvanshi and Rinku Singh, but Cameron Green has struggled in both matches so far.
Against PBKSβ left-arm pace and quality spin, he is likely to face another tough outing. Overall, PBKS have more in-form players and better bowling depth, which should give them the edge in this match.
