Eyeing first win, Knights renew rivalry with unbeaten PBKS:Bowling, Rahane’s form remain KKR’s concerns; 21% chance of rain in Kolkata

In the 12th match of IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will take on the super-consistent Punjab Kings (PBKS). The match is set to be played at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata and it will start at 7:30 PM IST (Indian Standard Time). The toss will take place at 7:00 PM IST. KKR have had a poor start to their IPL 2026 campaign, losing both their opening matches against the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). On the other hand, PBKS, led by Shreyas Iyer, have begun strongly with two wins, defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to sit fourth on the points table. The Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings rivalry has witnessed some epic contests throughout all these years and in the last seasons, this rivalry has only gained steam. In 2024, Punjab Kings recorded the highest successful IPL chase as they hunted down 262 vs Kolkata at the Eden Gardens, coincidentally the venue for this contest as well. Last year, Shreyas Iyer returned to haunt his former team, KKR, as the Punjab Kings defended the lowest IPL target, defending 112 in Mullanpur. KKR vs PBKS: Match Details Match info: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, match 12 Date Time: 6 April 2026, match begins at 7:30 PM IST (toss at 7 PM) Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata How to watch: JioHotstar Star Sports Network How to follow: Follow the live coverage on the Bhaskar English app Also read: WATCH | Sanjiv Goenka gets teary-eyed after LSG’s 1st victory:Virat Kohli’s ‘no-look’ six; Nitish Reddy’s ‘Pushpa’ celebration KKR vs PBBKS, head-to-head record Kolkata and Punjab have met 35 times in IPL history. KKR hold the advantage with 21 wins, while PBKS have won 13 matches in the past. However, one game between the two teams ended without a result. Kolkata’s early batting collapse, Rahane’s consistency a major concern After two consecutive defeats to MI and SRH, Kolkata’s batting collapse is a major concern. In the first two matches, the Knight Riders’ middle-order failed to light up. The lack of experience in the bowling unit has started to sting the team, with them conceding 200+ totals in both their matches. Angkrish Raghuvanshi is currently the highest run-scorer for KKR with 103 runs. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani is the leading wicket-taker with four wickets for the franchise. The winless Kolkata Knight Riders are aiming to win their first match of this season. Punjab’s super-consistency, currently at top 3 in standings With two consecutive victories in this ongoing tournament, Punjab is currently standing in third spot on the points table. Under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy, the franchise is doing excellent in this tournament so far. Australia all-rounder Cooper Connolly is leading the side as a leading run-scorer with 108 runs at a strike rate of 163.63. Vyshak Vijaykumar is the highest wicket-taker for the team this season so far, as he bagged five wickets with an economy of 9.00. Also read: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma make the cut, no Abhishek:Sameer Rizvi, Ravi Bishnoi standout performers; IPL’s best XI from week 1 Yuzvendra Chahal deceived Ajinkya Rahane four times The KKR and PBKS contest will give fans the opportunity to witness a showdown between Yuzvendra Chahal and Ajinkya Rahane. After flopping with the bat against the 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), scoring 8 runs off 10 balls, Rahane would look to bounce back against the in-form Punjab Kings. Earlier in KKR;s first match, Ajinkya scored a blistering 67 runs in 40 balls against the Mumbai Indians (MI). On the other hand, Yuzvendra Chahal has played two matches so far in this season and taken only two wickets for the Kings with an economy of 7.00 and his best figure is 2/26 in this season. In T20s, Chahal deceived Rahane four times as Ajinkya had scored only 62 runs against him. Yuzi conceded runs with an economy of 7.16. In response, the KKR captain scored with a strike rate of 119.28. Sunil Narine is highly economical against Shreyas Iyer Shreyas Iyer, who has led Punjab Kings for the last two years, has performed really well. In 2025, the side finished as runners-up, and this season, PBKS is currently standing in the top four of the points table with two consecutive victories. Iyer has scored 68 runs in two innings so far. On the other hand, Sunil Narine is considered the maestro of T20 cricket. He is the third leading wicket-taker in IPL history, but couldn’t light up with the ball much this season for KKR. In T20s, Narine deceived Shreyas only once as he conceded runs wth an economy of 7.5. Iyer’s strike rate is 121.05 against the mystery spinner and has scored just 46 runs against him. Also read: Vaishali’s second consecutive victory in FIDE Candidates:Praggnanandhaa settles for draw in Round 7; Divya misses big opportunity Eden Gardens pitch report The Eden Gardens pitch has changed over time and is now known as a batting-friendly surface with good bounce. While spinners like Narine, Anukul and Varun remain important, pacers can get early swing. Dew often plays a big role, aiding the chasing teams. A score around 200 is considered competitive at this venue. So, the team winning the toss should elect to bowl first and prefer chasing in this venue. Kolkata weather report On Monday night, the weather is expected to be clear with a low of 24°. Wind will be from the West-Southwest at 15 km/h in the ‘City of joy’, with gusts up to 26 km/h. However, there is a 21% chance of rain in Kolkata. The practice session in Kolkata on 5 April had to be called off due to rain and some players from the home team trained indoors.