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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kicked off today at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. While PBKS looks to solidify their position, all eyes are on their skipper Shreyas Iyer, whose recent batting slump has sparked concern.
PBKS currently sits at fifth place in the points table with five wins and three losses, totaling 10 points. KKR, meanwhile, finds itself at seventh position, having managed just three wins in eight games.
Shreyas Iyer, despite being the leading run-scorer for PBKS with 263 runs in eight innings, has struggled with consistency. According to ESPNCricinfo, he averages 43.83 with a strike rate of 185.21 this season. His top score remains an unbeaten 97, smashing 17 fours and 20 sixes from just 142 balls.
However, a deeper look shows his patchy performance. After a stellar start with 97* against Gujarat Titans (GT) and 52* against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Iyer has crossed the 20-run mark only once in his next six outings. Post the LSG game, his scores read: 10, 9, 82, 0, 7, and 6. This slump translates to 114 runs in six innings at an average of 19, albeit with a high strike rate of over 162.
Interestingly, Shreyas Iyer’s performance outside PBKS’s home ground has been remarkable. Playing away, he scored 97*, 52*, and 82 (against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Uppal Stadium), and 7 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. His away average stands impressive at 119 with three fifties.
At PBKS’s home ground, Mullanpur, though, his form has been dismal scoring just 10, 9, 0, and 6 across four innings, averaging a mere 6.25.
As PBKS and KKR battle it out today, fans and analysts are eager to see whether Iyer can extend his good away form into this critical match at Eden Gardens. With PBKS aiming to strengthen their playoff chances and KKR fighting to stay alive in the tournament, this encounter promises high stakes and drama.
Squads:
Kolkata Knight Riders: 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: 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.
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