Last Updated on 3 weeks by Charbel Coorey

Punjab Kings (PBKS) visit Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in this intriguing, 44th match of IPL 2025. It was arguably the most thrilling game of this season when these two sides met ten days ago. KKR bundled out PBKS for just 111 runs, but Punjab came back strongly and won the game by 16 runs. 

KKR must win this match. They are seventh in the points table with three wins in eight games. The biggest reason for their poor performance is their failure to get going consistently as a batting unit. Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer have been below average with the bat and only Ajinkya Rahane has performed regularly. Plus, they have failed to use Angkrish Raghuvanshi properly. 

The bowlers have done a good job till now. Varun Chakaravarthy has been consistent with the ball, while Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora have also done well. KKR will be itching to settle the score with Punjab. 

Meanwhile, PBKS have five wins in eight games, and are fifth in the table. Shreyas Iyer has lost track after starting the season with a bang, and this is an excellent time to find his groove against his former side. They have had their issue in the middle order but Josh Inglis has given some confidence. The openers have done a good job as well. 

Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh have bowled well and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up four wickets in the last game against KKR which is a great sign for the Kings. Punjab will look to do a double on KKR in this match.

In this article, we will look at the possible XIIs, Eden Gardens pitch report, fantasy cricket tips and Dream11 Prediction for the 44th match of IPL 2025 between KKR and PBKS.

IPL 2025 44th Match: KKR vs PBKS Possible Playing XIIs

Anrich Nortje may replace Moeen Ali in the XI for KKR.

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2. Sunil Narine, 3. Ajinkya Rahane (c), 4. Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 5. Venkatesh Iyer, 6. Rinku Singh, 7. Andre Russell, 8. Ramandeep Singh, 9. Moeen Ali 10. Harshit Rana, 11. Varun Chakaravarthy 12. Vaibhav Arora (Impact)

Punjab Kings are expected to be unchanged.

Punjab Kings: 1. Prabhsimran Singh, 2. Priyansh Arya, 3. Shreyas Iyer (c), 4. Josh Inglis, 5. Nehal Wadehra, 6. Marcus Stoinis, 7. Shashank Singh, 8. Marco Jansen, 9. Harpreet Brar, 10. Arshdeep Singh, 11. Xavier Bartlett 12. Yuzvendra Chahal (Impact)

Eden Gardens Kolkata Pitch Report and Weather

The pitch at the Eden Gardens will be an excellent one for batting. It’s expected to be flat with a very quick outfield and mostly short boundaries. There will be some assistance for the spinners off the deck and little movement with the new ball for the pacers. 

Scores in the range of 200 are expected and teams will prefer chasing. But there was little-to-no dew in the last game at Kolkata which brought the bowlers into play in the second innings.

It will be a hot day in Kolkata with no chance of rain. The temperature will be 32 degrees Celsius at the start of the game and we might see dew in this match.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for KKR vs PBKS: Players to Watch/Key Stats

Note: Try to pick more batters and all-rounders if you are playing on Dream11. The new point system rewards the batters heavily.

Top Wicket-Keeper Picks: 

• Prabhsimran Singh will look to attack from ball one and he will be a must in your fantasy teams on the new points system. He scored a 15-ball 30 in the first meeting against KKR this season.   

Key batter picks: 

• Shreyas Iyer knows the conditions at Kolakta inside out and he will be a must in your fantasy teams. Iyer got out for a duck in the last game against his former side and will be itching to do well in this one. 
• Ajinkya Rahane has 271 runs this season at an average of 38.71 and a strike rate of 146.48 with three fifties. Rahane has been the best batter for KKR this season and can score big in this match.
• Priyansh Arya has 254 runs in IPL 2025 at an average of 31.75 and strike rate of 201.59. He has one fifty and a century to his name. He will be a must in your fantasy teams.  

Top all-rounder picks: 

• Marco Jansen’s role with the ball has increased and it makes him a must in fantasy cricket. Jansen can trouble KKR’s batting unit and he is capable with the bat as well. Jansen picked up three wickets in the last game against KKR.
• Sunil Narine will open the batting and will bowl his full quota. He picked up two wickets against Punjab in the last match. Narine can trouble Punjab’s middle order and he can score big if he gets going. He will be a safe C/VC choice. 

Key bowler picks: 

• Arshdeep Singh has 11 wickets in 10 games against KKR. He hasn’t been at his best lately but against KKR’s struggling top order, Arshdeep can pick up early wickets with the new ball. 
• Yuzvendra Chahal has picked up 33 wickets in 23 games against KKR. He picked up four wickets against them and will fancy his chances in this match as well. Chahal will be another excellent differential pick for this game. 
• Harshit Rana has been the best pacer for KKR. His off-cutter has been really effective this season, and he will be a must in your fantasy teams, especially while bowling first. 
• Varun Chakaravarthy is another bowler who can trouble Punjab’s middle order with his mystery spin. Varun picked up two wickets when these two sides met earlier this season.

Other Players to Consider for Your Fantasy Cricket Teams 

• Josh Inglis has gotten off to starts but has failed to score big. He may struggle against Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine. Try him in the big leagues.
• Angkrish Raghuvanshi was sent to bat at number 9 in the last match. He has been in excellent touch and will be a top differential pick in fantasy cricket for this match. He scored 37 in the first game against PBKS.
• Andre Russell showed some form with the bat in the last game against Gujarat. He will be a must if he’s the third pacer in the side and KKR is bowling first. 
• Vaibhav Arora
• Shashank Singh
• Rinku Singh
• Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Other Matchups and Facts 

• Head to Head: Matches: 34; KKR 21, PBKS 13 .
• Shreyas Iyer vs Andre Russell: 54 deliveries, 63 runs, 5 dismissals.
• Prabhsimran Singh vs Harshit Rana: 12 deliveries, 25 runs, 2 dismissals.
• Marcus Stoinis vs Varun Chakaravarthy: 12 deliveries, 8 runs, 2 dismissals.
• Ajinkya Rahane vs Yuzvendra Chahal: 52 deliveries, 62 runs, 4 dismissals.
• Ajinkya Rahane vs Arshdeep Singh: 21 deliveries, 25 runs, 2 dismissals.
• Venkatesh Iyer vs Marco Jansen: 18 deliveries, 14 runs, 3 dismissals.

IPL 2025 44th Match: KKR vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction 

Option 1:

Option 2:

IPL 2025 44th Match: KKR vs PBKS Match Prediction: Who will win?

Punjab Kings have done well as a side this season, but they’ll face some serious threats from KKR bowlers in this game. KKR batters have also struggled against Punjab bowlers. This game will be decided on which side can keep their cool with the bat. I am backing KKR to win this game.