KKR vs PBKS IPL 2025: Three Players who Must be Dropped from Kolkata Knight Riders Playing 11 Today

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Kolkata Knight Riders' season hangs on by a thin thread as they take on Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 today (Saturday, April 26).

The defending champions have had a torrid IPL season so far, losing five of their first eight matches. At the Eden Gardens, they have lost three of their four encounters as well.

As they take on Punjab Kings, it is a huge test for them. In the reverse fixture, KKR made a meal of a 112 chase and got bundled out for just 95 runs. And as Ajinkya Rahane and his boys take on PBKS again, they will be hoping for a much better outing, especially with the bat.

In terms of the team news, the Knight Riders have all players fit. Although Umran Malik has joined the team, he is only a non-playing member and has been working only to regain full fitness. For the Knights, it is a big challenge as they look to navigate their season in the right direction.

Before the Punjab match today, it will be a big challenge for the Knight Riders team management to make some proper changes. In terms of performances, most of the KKR players have struggled this season. Barring a few, all the big names have grossly underperformed.

And when it comes to the playing 11 today, KKR must drop three names, who have largely disappointed so far.

Andre Russell

Despite being a big name, Andre Russell has largely been an underperforming player this season. Although he has got sporadic wickets, Russell's main strength - batting, has been abysmal. The West Indies star has so far managed just 55 runs at an average of 9, and a strike rate of less than 120!

Who Can Replace? Rovman Powell

Venkatesh Iyer

KKR's Rs 23.75 crore star looks out of sorts this season. With the bat, he has produced nothing but peanuts so far. Iyer has scored 139 runs in six innings, and if we take out the 60 that he scored against SRH in a match, the numbers look extremely bleak. A player who was supposed to be the brightest star of Knights' galaxy, has been mostly under the shadow this season, without any glitter.

Who can Replace? Manish Pandey/Luvnith Sisodia

Ramandeep Singh

Ramandeep Singh, another retained KKR star has been awful in IPL 2025 till date. Out of 5 innings, Ramandeep has amassed 30 runs. The average column is 7.5 and the strike rate is 115. He has wasted opportunities to score crucial runs for KKR and has failed to produce in each of the crunch situations.

Who can Replace? Anukul Roy