Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) return to Eden Gardens under a bit of pressure. Well, massive pressure. Two losses to start the season, including a heavy defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at home, have already pushed them into early catch-up mode. Only Chennai Super Kings (CSK) would know how KKR will be going through right now. Punjab Kings, on the other hand, arrive with two good wins after chasing down 210 against CSK.
What PBKS would love is that they again play at a batting-friendly venue. PBKS have developed into a team that goes gung-ho from the start and the short boundaries will also help them.
KKR vs PBKS Pitch Report
Eden Gardens record in IPL
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Matches Played | 101 |
| Won Batting First | 43 |
| Won Chasing | 57 |
| No Result | 1 |
| Average 1st Inns Score | 170 |
| Highest Total | 262 |
| Highest Chase | 262 |
Eden Gardens has now become one of the quickest-scoring venues in the IPL over the last couple of years. Since 2023, it has been the fastest-scoring ground in the league among venues that have hosted a reasonable number of matches.
This season has followed the same pattern. In the only game played here so far, SRH put up 226 batting first, and it never looked out of reach for most of the innings. Infact, some would say that they scored less than what they should’ve. The pitch was flat, the ball came on nicely, and the outfield did the rest.
The dimensions add massively to the challenge for bowlers. With square boundaries at 62m and 64m and 75m straight, there is very little room for error. Mishits carry, and anything overpitched tends to disappear quickly. A total of 200 is likely to be seen as the starting point rather than a winning score.
Pace vs spin: Neither finds much comfort
| Type | M | Balls | Runs | Wickets | Average | Dot % | Boundary % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pace | 7 | 821 | 1403 | 43 | 32.62 | 32.3 | 28.01 |
| Spin | 7 | 704 | 969 | 33 | 29.36 | 29.5 | 16.61 |
There is no clear advantage for either. Pacers tend to pick up more wickets, but they also go at a higher cost. Spinners are slightly more economical, but they do not get much assistance from the surface. With dew often becoming a factor in the evening, teams prefer to bowl first. There was some rain around Kolkata on the eve of the match, which disrupted training for both sides. But if the weather stays clear during match hours, expect another run-heavy night.
Catch KKR vs PBKS weather report here.
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