IPL 2025: Punjab Kings, at two ends of extreme during powerplay with bat and ball

PBKS will be locking horns against KKR at Eden Gardens on Saturday. PBKS is at the fifth spot with five wins and three losses, giving them 10 points. On the other hand, KKR is struggling, having won just three of their eight matches and standing in seventh spot in the points table.

Coming to their batting, power-packed performances from the top three of Priyansh Arya (254 runs in eight matches, with a strike rate of 201.58, 24 fours and 18 sixes), Prabhsimran Singh (209 runs in eight matches, strike rate of 168.54, 28 fours and eight sixes) and Shreyas Iyer (263 runs in eight matches, strike rate of 185.21, 17 fours and 20 sixes) have made PBKS the most fiercest side in the powerplay while batting during the first six overs. Prabhsimran and Priyansh, though not the most consistent scoring-wise, have delivered quick cameos in the start, while skipper Iyer has also delivered some calculated hitting oozing class and intent, sometimes making up for an early setback. Their run-rate in the powerplay is 10.67, the best among all teams, as per ESPNCricinfo.

But when it comes to bowling, they have not been as prolific in denting their opposition with early jolts. Only 10 wickets have come in eight matches in the powerplay phase, which makes it the joint-lowest among all teams, equalled by the Rajasthan Royals. In the powerplay, they have given away 430 runs in 276 balls, having conceded 50 fours and 16 sixes as well. The team has leaked runs at 9.34 per over in the powerplay, which is the sixth-highest among all teams.

Squads:

Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Anukul Roy, Rovman Powell, Luvnith Sisodia, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson, Chetan Sakariya, Mayank Markande

Punjab Kings Squad: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer(c), Josh Inglis(w), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Praveen Dubey, Glenn Maxwell, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kuldeep Sen, Harnoor Singh, Vishnu Vinod, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash.