KKR vs PBKS Injury Report, IPL 2025: Injury Twist Before Eden Gardens Showdown! One Team Stunned by Last-Minute Setback?

KKR vs PBKS Injury Report, IPL 2025: The stage is set for an electrifying night at Eden Gardens as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lock horns with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2025’s 44th match.

With both teams jostling for late-season momentum, every selection, injury, and tactical change could tip the scales in a tightly contested encounter in Kolkata today.

The Eden Gardens faithful are buzzing, eager to witness two squads that blend raw international firepower with homegrown heroes. Yet, just as optimism brewed, the latest injury news has cast an unexpected shadow, threatening to upend combinations for this marquee clash in Kolkata.

Match Details

Date: 26th April, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM IST
Venue: Eden Gardens Stadium, Kolkata
Broadcast: Star Sports
Live Stream: JioHotstar App

KKR vs PBKS Team Preview

Kolkata Knight Riders, back on home turf at the vibrant Eden Gardens, are poised to harness their passionate support and a power-packed squad this season. Under the calm stewardship of Ajinkya Rahane, KKR’s batting order is both experienced and explosive, blending internationals like Quinton de Kock with homegrown crowd favourites such as Rinku Singh and Venkatesh Iyer. With Eden Gardens\' flat pitches, their batters are primed for high scoring—expect the top order to take calculated risks in the powerplay and the middle order to accelerate as the dew sets in.

All-rounders Andre Russell and Moeen Ali provide depth and balance, ensuring KKR are never out of the contest, with their ability to clear boundaries and chip in with crucial overs. On the bowling front, the pace duo of Anrich Nortje and Harshit Rana will look to exploit any early movement, while Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy offer the spin variety needed to control the middle overs, especially before dew becomes a factor. With crowd energy and local conditions in their favour, KKR will look to maintain their Eden dominance and strengthen their playoff run.

Punjab Kings travel to Kolkata in search of a statement win, armed with a versatile side capable of tackling Eden’s challenging conditions. Captain Shreyas Iyer leads a batting unit that includes the adaptability of Josh Inglis and the raw aggression of Prabhsimran Singh. With the pitch likely to favour batters, PBKS’s top order will look to seize the initiative, build partnerships, and keep the scoreboard ticking at every opportunity. In the mid-to-late stages, the likes of Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell promise to convert solid starts into devastating finishes, especially when dew tilts the conditions towards the bat.

Bowling for PBKS will be about seizing early momentum—left-arm spearhead Arshdeep Singh is tasked with curbing KKR’s openers, while Lockie Ferguson’s express pace is ideally suited to Eden’s bounce. With dew making gripping the ball a potential nightmare for the spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal and Harpreet Brar will need to bowl cleverly, focusing on accuracy and quick overs. PBKS’s athletic all-rounders give them flexibility with both bat and ball, making them dark horses capable of upsetting home advantage at Eden Gardens.

KKR vs PBKS Key Players

KKR:

Quinton de Kock: Sizzling form, key to fast starts.
Rinku Singh: Local favourite, big finisher at home.
Andre Russell: All-rounder, vital in both departments.
Sunil Narine: Spin magician; form can waver with dew.
Ajinkya Rahane: Needs to step up after modest last outings.
Umran Malik (INJURED): Absent from playing XI, participating only in rehab.

PBKS:

Shreyas Iyer: In strong touch, steadying influence.
Josh Inglis: Recently struggled, needs a big score.
Marcus Stoinis: Brings power but lacks recent batting runs.
Glenn Maxwell: Can win games single-handed but form is inconsistent.
Arshdeep Singh: Top wicket-taker, but some fitness doubts last match.
Lockie Ferguson: Speed threat at full fitness.

KKR vs PBKS Injury Report

Kolkata’s biggest talking point is the absence of Umran Malik. The express Indian pacer is present with the team in a rehab role as part of his injury recovery programme but is not part of tonight’s squad. His pace and death-overs expertise will be missed, forcing KKR to rely on Anrich Nortje and Vaibhav Arora for speed and breakthroughs. KKR’s management remains tight-lipped on any further fresh concerns, but Andre Russell—who has previously played through niggles—appears available.

PBKS, meanwhile, have managed to keep most of their main squad fit, though there were whispers about Arshdeep Singh playing at less than 100% in the last fixture. Nevertheless, he’s expected to start at Eden Gardens. No significant fresh injury worries have been officially announced.

KKR vs PBKS Playing XI

KKR: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Moeen Ali, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy

PBKS: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett

KKR vs PBKS Squad

KKR: Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Chetan Sakariya

PBKS: Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod, Josh Inglis, Harnoor Pannu, Pyla Avinash, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Kuldeep Sen, Xavier Bartlett, Pravin Dubey