The stage is ready for an exciting match at the famous Eden Gardens as the Kolkata Knight Riders take on the Punjab Kings in Match 12 of IPL 2026. Both teams want to make a strong start to the season so this Monday night game in Kolkata is expected to be full of action and big moments.
KKR under pressure, PBKS riding high on confidence
Kolkata Knight Riders are coming into this home match after a tough loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad. They scored a huge 220 runs thanks to captain Ajinkya Rahane and young talent Angkrish Raghuvanshi but their bowlers couldn’t defend the total.
On the other hand, Punjab Kings are in great form. They started with an exciting 3-wicket win over Gujarat Titans and have continued to perform well. While KKR is eager to get their first home win PBKS will try to take advantage of KKR’s weak bowling right now.
Eden Gardens pitch report: A batter’s paradise
The pitch at Eden Gardens is known for having a very fast outfield, which helps the ball travel quickly. It usually favors batters with good pace and bounce. Fast bowlers might get a little help early on with the new ball but as the match goes on the pitch becomes easier for scoring runs.
Spinners like Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy could play an important role in the middle overs when the ball gets older. In the past, teams have had more success chasing here with over 55% of matches won by the team batting second.
Weather Forecast: Clear skies in the city of joy
The weather in Kolkata will be hot and humid at the start of the match, with temperatures around 31°C. As the game goes on it will cool down a bit to a more comfortable 26 Degrees Celsius.
There’s no chance of rain so fans can expect a full match without any interruptions.
Best Playing 11
KKR: Finn Allen (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani.
Ramandeep Singh has had a poor record. He averages 19.25 in 22 innings for KKR and could only manage 10 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). KKR can rope in someone like a Manish Pandey in his place.
PBKS: Shreyas Iyer (c), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shashank Singh, Nehal, Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Yash Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Musheer Khan.