• Match: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, 42th Match, Indian Premier League 2024
• Date and Time: April 26,  02:00 pm GMT / 08:00 pm BD / 07:30 pm local time
• Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

KKR has asserted its dominance in IPL 2024, boasting an impressive track record of five wins and just two losses in seven matches. This places them comfortably at the second position on the points table, with a clear path to the playoffs requiring only three more victories in their remaining seven games. Their defining trait this season has been their unyielding positive attitude and aggressive approach, leaving opponents struggling to match their intensity.

On the flip side, Punjab Kings have endured a lackluster campaign. With the exception of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma, the team’s batting lineup has faltered, leading to disappointing results. PBKS now faces a daunting challenge, needing to win all their remaining matches to salvage any hope of playoff qualification. However, given their current form, the outlook appears grim for their playoff aspirations.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (c), Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Angkirsh Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana.

Punjab Kings: Sam Curran (c), Rilee Rossouw, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sikandar Raza, Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh.

Who will win the toss? – Punjab Kings
Who will win the match? – Kolkata Knight Riders

Captain: Sunil Narine
Vice-Captain: Sam Curran

Philip Salt, Shreyas Iyer, A Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Kagiso Rabada, Harshit Rana, Mitchell Starc, Harshal Patel, Varun Chakravarthy.

The toss outcome at the Eden Gardens carries substantial weight, as teams often lean towards chasing on this ground. The venue’s compact dimensions pose a formidable challenge for defending sides, thus making the decision to chase more favorable.

The Eden Gardens pitch typically favors batsmen, as demonstrated by the previous game where over 420 runs were scored. With runs flowing freely, restraining the scoring rate becomes a daunting task, leading to the potential for high-scoring contests. Considering the batting-friendly nature of the conditions, a target of 200 runs would be deemed par for the course at this venue.

The weather forecast predicts temperatures reaching around 30 degrees Celsius, with a humidity level of 41 percent. Moreover, there will be a significant wind speed of 29 km/h throughout the match.

• Stadium: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
• City:  Kolkata
• Capacity: 64, 000