Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders Dream11 Team Prediction, Match Preview, Fantasy Cricket Hints: Captain, Probable Playing 11s, Team News; Injury Updates For PBKS vs KKR Indian Premier League 2025 in PCA Stadium New Chandigarh 730pm April 15
Punjab Kings will go up against Kolkata Knight Riders in match No. 31 of the IPL 2025 season at the new PCA Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, on Tuesday. Both the sides are on six points currently and a win for either side will vault them to top four position for the Playoffs race.
It’s not often that a team loses after posting a massive total like 245, but Punjab Kings were left stunned by Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 141 off just 55 balls in their previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Despite captain Shreyas Iyer’s fireworks — an impressive 82 off 36 balls — the PBKS skipper could only manage a rueful smile at the end as his bowlers were dismantled by Abhishek’s blitz.
The carnage took place on a batting paradise at Hyderabad’s Uppal Stadium, where the flat track offers little respite for bowlers and no total feels safe. On Tuesday, however, Punjab return to their home ground in Mullanpur — another venue that has favoured high scores, with both games there so far witnessing 200+ first-innings totals.
This sets up a tricky dilemma for the team management. Should they stick with flat batting-friendly conditions, knowing their bowling might not be able to defend even 220? Or should they opt for a surface with some grip and variable bounce, which could just as easily backfire?
Their biggest concern is the bowling unit, especially the spinners. Yuzvendra Chahal and Glenn Maxwell were taken apart in the last match, conceding 96 runs in just seven overs between them. Chahal, once a reliable T20 performer, has struggled this season — leaking runs at an economy rate of 11.13 and managing just two wickets in five matches. His wide, loopy leg-breaks have been easy pickings for batters.
Worryingly, no Punjab bowler has maintained an economy below nine this season — a stat head coach Ricky Ponting will not be pleased with.
Opting for a spin-friendly surface at Mullanpur could also be risky, as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) possess arguably the most well-rounded spin attack in the league. Varun Chakravarthy, one of India’s most improved T20 spinners, thrives on such pitches, and Sunil Narine, though past his prime, remains highly effective in slow conditions.
KKR are dangerous on all surfaces — be it flat or slow — and their thumping win over Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk has given them a major confidence boost. For Punjab, much rests on the shoulders of captain Shreyas Iyer, who has been the standout with the bat, scoring 250 runs and three fifties in five games. But unless their bowling attack finds answers — and quickly — even his heroics might not be enough to turn things around.
Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2025 Match No. 31 Details
Venue: New PCA Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh
Date & Time: April 15, 730pm IST onwards
Live Streaming and TV details: Star Sports Network and JioHotstar website and app.
PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 Match No. 31 Dream11 Prediction
Wicketkeepers: Quinton de Kock, Prabhsimran Singh
Batters: Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Marcus Stoinis
All-rounders: Sunil Narine, Glenn Maxwell, Marco Jansen
Bowlers: Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh
Captain: Sunil Narine
Vice-captain: Glenn Maxwell
PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 Match No 31 Predicted 12
Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai/Aaron Hardie, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur
Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Moeen Ali, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy
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