The 12th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will be played on Monday at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, where Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face Punjab Kings (PBKS). Getting 2 points by defeating Punjab Kings on their home ground can prove to be a big challenge for KKR.

KKR’s initial struggle and Punjab Kings’ great start
The start of IPL 2026 for KKR has not been as expected. The team has lost both its opening matches and is placed ninth in the points table. After losing by 6 wickets against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Kolkata suffered a 65-run loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens.

Now, this match against Punjab Kings is very important for KKR to get its first win of the season.

At the same time, Punjab Kings are at fourth place in the points table with their two big wins this season. Punjab team’s batting is explosive and bowling is lethal, which makes them a strong and balanced team.

Strong team of Punjab Kings and challenge of KKR
Punjab Kings’ batting consists of explosive batsmen like Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Cooper Connolly, and Shreyas Iyer, while the bowling includes Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett, Vijay Kumar Vaishak, and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Apart from this, Marco Janssen and Marcus Stoinis maintain the balance of the team.

KKR, on the other hand, need to improve both their batting and bowling. Apart from captain Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh has put in some good performances but has been struggling with the bowling. KKR will need a strong performance as a team against Punjab so that they can score 2 points.

Effect of Eden Gardens pitch and weather

The pitch at Eden Gardens is generally favorable for the batsmen. Due to the fast outfield, it is easy to score runs. The pitch is consistently flat and the ball hits the bat well, allowing the batsmen to play freely. However, the fast bowlers may get some help in the beginning of the match, but as the game progresses, the pitch becomes slower and the spin bowlers get help.

According to the Meteorological Department, the match may be affected by the weather. There is a possibility of cloudy sky in the city and there are chances of rain. The probability of rain between 7:00 and 8:00 pm is 40 percent, which will increase to 50 percent in the next hour.

This increases the chances of the match being shortened.

Head-to-head between KKR and Punjab Kings
So far, a total of 35 matches have been played between the two teams. During this period, KKR has had the upper hand. KKR has won 21 matches, while Punjab Kings have won 13 matches. A match between the two teams has also been cancelled.

Probability of playing eleven
KKR’s probable playing eleven: :
Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wicketkeeper), C Green, RK Singh, Ramandeep Singh, SP Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakraborty, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani.

Probable playing eleven of Punjab Kings: :
Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), Cooper Connolly, S Iyer (captain), Shashank Singh, MP Stoinis, M Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vaishakh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

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