KKR vs PBKS IPL 2026 Match Preview: Fantasy Picks, Pitch Report & Playing XI
The Indian Premier League action continues as Kolkata Knight Riders take on Punjab Kings in a highly anticipated T20 clash at Eden Gardens. With PBKS riding high on a winning streak and KKR looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats, this IPL matchup promises massive action for your fantasy contests.
Match Details
- Match: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings
- Date: 06 Apr 2026
- Time: 19:30 IST
- Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Live Streaming & Broadcast Details
- Catch the live action on JioHotstar(App + Website)
- TV broadcast available on Star Sport Channels
Weather Report
The weather in Kolkata will be warm with temperatures around 31 degrees Celsius and high humidity. There is a light wind expected, but the Rain impact is zero, ensuring an uninterrupted game. The Dew factor will be highly significant in the second innings, making chasing the preferred option for the captain winning the toss.
Pitch Report & Venue Stats
The pitch at Eden Gardens is known for its flat Pitch nature, making it a true batting paradise. The boundary size is relatively short at 65 to 68 meters, allowing batters to score freely. The Average score here is a massive 209 runs. When looking at Pace vs spin dominance, fast bowlers have claimed 46 wickets compared to just 21 wickets for spinners in recent games. The Batting vs bowling trend heavily favors the chasing team due to the dew making it hard to grip the ball in the second innings.
Fantasy Takeaway: Load your team with top order batters and death over pacers who can exploit the conditions.
Team Form & Head to-Head
Kolkata Knight Riders
- Last 5 matches: LLLLW
- KKR has struggled recently, losing both of their opening fixtures in this series.
- Head to-head record: 10 wins against PBKS.
Punjab Kings
- Last 5 matches: WWLWL
- PBKS is in stellar form, having won both of their recent matches comfortably.
- Head to-head record: 7 wins against KKR.
Injury Updates & Player Availability
- Injured / Unavailable: Akash Deep, Mustafizur Rahman, Harshit Rana (KKR)
- Doubtful: None
- Fully fit: All other squad members are available for selection.
Probable Playing XI
Kolkata Knight Riders
Ajinkya Rahane, Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Blessing Muzarabani, Anukul Roy
Punjab Kings
Prabhsimran Singh, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Key Players to Watch
- Cooper Connolly: The explosive batter has already smashed 108 runs in the series and is a must have for your fantasy team.
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi: With 103 runs so far, he is the most reliable top order anchor for the home side.
- Vijaykumar Vyshak: Leading the bowling charts with 5 wickets, his variations are perfect for this venue.
Fantasy Winning Team Picks
Small League Safe Picks
- Shreyas Iyer
- Ajinkya Rahane
- Arshdeep Singh
Mega League Differential Picks
- Blessing Muzarabani: A high risk, high reward pacer who can exploit the early bounce.
- Marco Jansen: Can contribute with both bat and ball in crucial death overs.
Match Prediction / Outlook
Based on current form and conditions, Punjab Kings are the clear favorites to win this match. Their top order is firing, and their pace attack is perfectly suited for this venue.
Disclaimer
Always check Final Playing XI and Toss updates before locking your fantasy team.
IPL 2026 PBKS vs KKR players T20 past performance, current series performance, projected points and selection percentage.
Teams | Date | Venue | Toss | Bat First | Bat Second | Inning 1 | Inning 2 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PBKS vs GT | 31 Mar - 07:30 PM | New Chandigarh | PBKS |  GTGT |  PBKS | 162/6 (20.0) | 165/7 (19.1) | PBKS PBKS won by 3 wickets (with 5 balls remaining) |
| CSK vs PBKS | 03 Apr - 07:30 PM | Chennai | PBKS |  CSKCSK | PBKS | 209/5 (20.0) | 210/5 (18.4) | PBKS PBKS won by 5 wickets (with 8 balls remaining) |
| PBKS vs KKR | 06 Apr - 07:30 PM | Kolkata | KKR |  KKRKKR | PBKS | 25/2 (3.4) | No result | |
| PBKS vs SRH | 11 Apr - 03:30 PM | New Chandigarh | PBKS |  SRHSRH | PBKS | 219/6 (20.0) | 223/4 (18.5) | PBKS PBKS won by 6 wickets (with 7 balls remaining) |
| MI vs PBKS | 16 Apr - 07:30 PM | Mumbai | PBKS |  MIMI | PBKS | 195/6 (20.0) | 198/3 (16.3) | PBKS PBKS won by 7 wickets (with 21 balls remaining) |
| PBKS vs LSG | 19 Apr - 07:30 PM | New Chandigarh | LSG | PBKSPBKS |  LSG | 254/7 (20.0) | 200/5 (20.0) | PBKS PBKS won by 54 runs |
| DC vs PBKS | 25 Apr - 03:30 PM | Delhi | DC |  DCDC | PBKS | 264/2 (20.0) | 265/4 (18.5) | PBKS PBKS won by 6 wickets (with 7 balls remaining) |
| PBKS vs RR | 28 Apr - 07:30 PM | New Chandigarh | RR | PBKSPBKS |  RR | 222/4 (20.0) | 228/4 (19.2) | RR RR won by 6 wickets (with 4 balls remaining) |
| GT vs PBKS | 03 May - 07:30 PM | Ahmedabad | GT | PBKSPBKS | GT | 163/9 (20.0) | 167/6 (19.5) | GT GT won by 4 wickets (with 1 ball remaining) |
| SRH vs PBKS | 06 May - 07:30 PM | Hyderabad | PBKS | SRHSRH | PBKS | 235/4 (20.0) | 202/7 (20.0) | SRH SRH won by 33 runs |
| PBKS vs DC | 11 May - 07:30 PM | Dharamsala | DC | PBKSPBKS | DC | 210/5 (20.0) | 216/7 (19.0) | DC DC won by 3 wickets (with 6 balls remaining) |
| PBKS vs MI | 14 May - 07:30 PM | Dharamsala | MI | PBKSPBKS | MI | 200/8 (20.0) | 205/4 (19.5) | MI MI won by 6 wickets (with 1 ball remaining) |
Teams | Date | Venue | Toss | Bat First | Bat Second | Inning 1 | Inning 2 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MI vs KKR | 29 Mar - 07:30 PM | Mumbai | MI | KKRKKR | MI | 220/4 (20.0) | 224/4 (19.1) | MI MI won by 6 wickets (with 5 balls remaining) |
| KKR vs SRH | 02 Apr - 07:30 PM | Kolkata | KKR | SRHSRH | KKR | 226/8 (20.0) | 161/10 (16.0) | SRH SRH won by 65 runs |
| PBKS vs KKR | 06 Apr - 07:30 PM | Kolkata | KKR | KKRKKR | PBKS | 25/2 (3.4) | No result | |
| KKR vs LSG | 09 Apr - 07:30 PM | Kolkata | LSG | KKRKKR | LSG | 181/4 (20.0) | 182/7 (20.0) | LSG LSG won by 3 wickets (with 0 balls remaining) |
| CSK vs KKR | 14 Apr - 07:30 PM | Chennai | KKR | CSKCSK | KKR | 192/5 (20.0) | 160/7 (20.0) | CSK CSK won by 32 runs |
| GT vs KKR | 17 Apr - 07:30 PM | Ahmedabad | KKR | KKRKKR | GT | 180/10 (20.0) | 181/5 (19.4) | GT GT won by 5 wickets (with 2 balls remaining) |
| KKR vs RR | 19 Apr - 03:30 PM | Kolkata | RR | RRRR | KKR | 155/9 (20.0) | 161/6 (19.4) | KKR KKR won by 4 wickets (with 2 balls remaining) |
| LSG vs KKR | 26 Apr - 07:30 PM | Lucknow | LSG | KKRKKR | LSG | 155/7 (20.0) | 155/8 (20.0) | KKR Match tied (KKR won the one-over eliminator) |
| SRH vs KKR | 03 May - 03:30 PM | Hyderabad | SRH | SRHSRH | KKR | 165/10 (19.0) | 169/3 (18.2) | KKR KKR won by 7 wickets (with 10 balls remaining) |
| DC vs KKR | 08 May - 07:30 PM | Delhi | KKR | DCDC | KKR | 142/8 (20.0) | 147/2 (14.2) | KKR KKR won by 8 wickets (with 34 balls remaining) |
| RCB vs KKR | 13 May - 08:45 PM | Raipur | RCB | KKRKKR |  RCB | 192/4 (20.0) | 194/4 (19.1) | RCB RCB won by 6 wickets (with 5 balls remaining) |
| KKR vs GT | 16 May - 07:30 PM | Kolkata | GT | KKRKKR | GT | 247/2 (20.0) | 218/4 (20.0) | KKR KKR won by 29 runs |
Teams | Date | Toss | Bat First | Bat Second | Inning 1 | Inning 2 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KKR vs SRH | 02 Apr - 07:30 PM | KKR | SRHSRH | KKR | 226/8 (20.0) | 161/10 (16.0) | SRH SRH won by 65 runs |
| PBKS vs KKR | 06 Apr - 07:30 PM | KKR | KKRKKR | PBKS | 25/2 (3.4) | No result | |
| KKR vs LSG | 09 Apr - 07:30 PM | LSG | KKRKKR | LSG | 181/4 (20.0) | 182/7 (20.0) | LSG LSG won by 3 wickets (with 0 balls remaining) |
| KKR vs RR | 19 Apr - 03:30 PM | RR | RRRR | KKR | 155/9 (20.0) | 161/6 (19.4) | KKR KKR won by 4 wickets (with 2 balls remaining) |
| KKR vs GT | 16 May - 07:30 PM | GT | KKRKKR | GT | 247/2 (20.0) | 218/4 (20.0) | KKR KKR won by 29 runs |
