Shreyas Iyer's Kolkata Knight Riders are all set to face Shikhar Dhawan's Punjab Kings in match No. 42 of IPL 2024 on Friday, 26th April, at the Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium in Kolkata. PBKS have won only 2 and lost six games so far this season and are sitting at the second bottom of the points table. Meanwhile, KKR have won five out of their seven games so far this season and are sitting at the second spot of the points table. Both teams would like to claim the important two points so it will be an exciting contest in Kolkata. From possible playing XIs to Dream11 predictions, here is everything you need to know about the KKR vs PBKS match in IPL 2024.

Read Also: 5 youngest players to play 100 IPL matches

Match Details

• Match: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings - IPL 2024

• Date: 26/4/2024

• Time: 7:30 pm

• Venue: Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium, Kolkata

Giving back to those who go above and beyond for everyone 🫡

Our Knights visited Manipal Hospital in Kolkata to share their gratitude to the health care experts. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/EYk0IUpQD3

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 25, 2024

How to watch the KKR vs PBKS IPL 2024 Match?

The Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings IPL 2024 match will be televised on Star Sports Network. All the Indian Premier League matches will be streamed free on the Jio Cinema app and website.

Pitch & Weather Report

Eden Gardens has been very batting-friendly in the last few years. Four out of seven matches played at the venue last season crossed the 200 mark. Four games have been played here so far this season, three of which have seen 200-plus scores in both innings.

The KKR vs PBKS is also expected to be a high-scoring match as the pitch is favouring the batters completely. The dew will play a part as this will be an evening game, and batting second would be a good option.

The temperatures will be around 35 degrees in the evening. There is no chance of rain and the humidity is expected to be close to 78 percent.

⚠️ Masterminds at work ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/wignhWQcJ2

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 24, 2024

KKR vs PBKS: Head-to-Head Record

Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings have faced each other in 32 matches and KKR have been the dominant side, winning 21 while PBKS have won only 11 encounters.

• Matches played: 32
• Kolkata Knight Riders won: 21
• Punjab Kings won: 11
• No result: 0
• Highest Score: 245
• Lowest Score: 109

KKR vs PBKS: Head-to-Head at Eden Gardens

• Total matches played: 12
• Kolkata Knight Riders won: 9
• Punjab Kings won: 3
• No result: 0

Left-handed 🇮🇳 openers, unlimited memories 💜♥️ pic.twitter.com/1Yfqd1bJwi

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 24, 2024

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Team News

Kolkata Knight Riders

Raghuvanshi failed to score runs in the last game but he has been quite brilliant. Shreyas Iyer is having a below-average season. He hasn't been good with the bat and the same problem lies with Venkatesh Iyer too. Shreyas did score a half-century in the last game but he needs to remain consistent in the remaining games. Andre Russell and Rinku Singh have played their role as finishers but they will be challenged when the top order fails. 

KKR's bowling is another issue. Mitchell Starc hasn't justified his price tag yet. Harshit Rana still has to learn a lot and the 22-year-old still has a lot of time to improve but he bowled a mature 4-over spell in the game against RCB. He is bowling well and it looks like, he'll only improve from here. Varun Chakaravarthy is having an average season and he will be hoping to make a comeback. Sunil Narine has bowled well and Andre Russell has bowled some critical overs too. But, the KKR bowling unit has to improve more if they want to deliver better performances in the remaining fixtures.

Now this is what we call 𝙋𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡 🤌 pic.twitter.com/szaCxArIMX

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 25, 2024

Punjab Kings

The opening pair Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow have only put together one fifty-plus partnership this season. They both are having a terrible season and a strong opening pair is very important for a good start to any game. Dhawan has made 152 runs in five matches and looks completely out of touch. He was out with an injury so Sam Curran was leading the side in the absence of him. Bairstow had become a liability for the team and Punjab decided to drop him. Sam Curran and Prabhsimran added 52 runs for the first wicket in the last match and they will be looking to replicate it once again.

Sadde 🦁s hain taiyyar! 🔥💪#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings #JazbaHaiPunjabi #TATAIPL2024 | @liaml4893 | @SRazaB24 | @HarshalPatel23 pic.twitter.com/q6favxHXDW

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 24, 2024

Jitesh Sharma has played some good cameos here and there but there is no consistency in his batting. Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma have shown what they can do and right now they are the only positive in PBKS' batting. Sam Curran has done decently in the tournament so far. His contributions in both departments are vital to PBKS. He won the first game for PBKS with the bat and showed his bowling prowess in the match against LSG, picking up three wickets. 

Liam Livingstone once again failed as a batter but did bowl a brilliant 4-over spell. Harpreet Brar, who started the season on a high is now struggling to get anything fruitful from his bowling. But, he is a good spinner and will try to make a comeback strongly.

Who is the biggest Ashu fan? 🤔
Look between Y and O in your keyboard! ⌨️#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/mbEQqoBaGf

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 24, 2024

Harshal Patel finally delivered a good spell this season. He picked up three wickets against Gujarat in the previous match but has to repeat it and be a consistent performer with the bowl. Kagiso Rabada is the main strength of Punjab's bowling unit but the Proteas seamer also struggled against Gujarat Titans. Arshdeep Singh has bowled well in some games and he is one of the most important players for Punjab. 

Possible XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders: Sunil Narine, Phil Salt (wk), Shreyas Iyer (C), Ramandeep Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana.

Impact Player Subs: KS Bharat, N Rana, Manish Pandey, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sakib Hussain, AS Roy, Sherfane Rutherford, Vaibhav Arora, C Sakariya, D Chameera, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Suyash Sharma, Allah Mohammad

Punjab Kings: Prabh Simran Singh, Sam Curran, JM Sharma (wk), Shikhar Dhawan (C), R Rossouw, Ashutosh Sharma, Shashank Singh, Liam Livingstone, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Harshal Patel

Impact Player Subs:  JM Bairstow, Harpreet Singh, Shivam Singh, Prince Choudhary, A Taide, Sikandar Raza, R Dhawan, T Thyagarajan, RD Chahar, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Chris Woakes, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Nathan Ellis, Arshdeep Singh

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings: Dream XI Team Prediction

Shreyas Iyer is on the verge of a comeback to India’s Test and T20I squads after dominating in ODIs and IPL 2025. Selectors now see Iyer as an all-format solution for India’s middle order, especially ahead of the Asia Cup and West Indies Test series. His comeback is expected to bring stability and experience, especially on spin-friendly tracks where India has struggled lately. 

Iyer has been out of favour in Tests since a back issue and poor form saw him lose his berth during the home series against England last year. The decision-makers, however, feel Iyer has done all the right things since losing his contract after expressing a reluctance to play domestic cricket. 

Also Read: Indian Cricket Team's upcoming schedule (men and women)

Let's have a look at Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests.

Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests

105 vs New Zealand (2021)

It was one of Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests against New Zealand in the first test match in Kanpur. Iyer played a phenomenal knock of 105 runs off 171 balls, including 13 fours and two sixes. This knock was memorable for Iyer as it was his debut hundred in the test match against New Zealand.

92 vs Sri Lanka (2022)

Iyer played a gem of a knock in the pink-ball Test at M Chinnaswamy Stadium against Sri Lanka in 2022. India were 86/4 after electing to bat. Iyer shone with a blistering 92 off 98 deliveries, whipping 10 fours and four maximums.

He played with the tail-enders and was the last man to be dismissed (252/10). India eventually won by 238 runs.

87 vs Bangladesh (2022)

Bowling first, India folded Bangladesh on 227. India, however, had a shaky start and were down to 94/4. Iyer then joined hands with a ferocious-looking Rishabh Pant and the duo plundered 159 runs for the fifth wicket. The pair played a part as India snatched an 87-run lead (314/10).

Iyer smacked 87 off 105 deliveries (4s: 10, 6s: 2), lifting India from the trenches.

86 vs Bangladesh (2022)

India stumbled in the first Test too (112/4 in 31.4 overs). They needed to keep the Tigers at bay. Iyer and Cheteshwar Pujara delivered the needful, stitching a 149-run partnership before the latter departed (261/5).

Iyer got out the next day after a well-struck 86 off 192 deliveries. India ended up scoring 404 in the first innings and eventually won by 188 runs.

67 vs Sri Lanka (2022)

Rishabh Pant put the Sri Lankan attack to the sword with a record-breaking half-century while Shreyas Iyer yet again conjured up a measured fifty to let India grab complete control of the second Test over Sri Lanka.

Pant’s 31-ball 50 and Iyer’s 67 after useful contributions from top-order batters meant that India set Sri Lanka a mammoth 447-run target after declaring their second innings at 303 for nine. 

Also Read: ENG vs IND: Every record Shubman Gill broke in test series

65 vs New Zealand (2021)

It was another mature knock from Iyer while playing only his second innings in the purest format. India (41/3) were in a spot of bother when the debutant arrived. Despite running out of partners, Iyer managed to carve a 125-ball 65. He ended up top-scoring for the hosts.

He was noted for fetching pivotal stands with Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha, helping India reach 167/7.

Matt Henry dismissed opener Brian Bennett for a duck during his first over of Zimbabwe’s second innings on the third day of the second Test, and that made it the 38th consecutive innings of him taking at least one wicket. Among pacers, only Australia’s Dennis Lillee and Pakistan’s Waqar Younis have maintained a longer streak of taking at least one wicket in an innings.

In this article, we will have a look at the pacers with longest wicket-taking streak in Tests.

Also Read: Most Hundreds in Test cricket among active players

Longest wicket-taking streak in Tests among pacers

1. Dennis Lillee | 41 Innings

One of Australia's greatest ever fast bowlers, Dennis Lillee held the record for longest wicket-taking streak in Tests. He has 41 consecutive innings of taking at least one wicket. 

Lillee finished his career with 355 Test wickets playing 70 matches, including taking a wicket off his final delivery in international cricket. He also has 23 five-wicket hauls and 7 ten-wicket hauls.

2. Waqar Younis | 41 Innings

Waqar Younis jointly holds the record for longest wicket-taking streak in Tests, as the former Pakistan seamer achieved this feat for 41 straight innings. The former right arm fast bowler is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time.

As of 2012, Younis holds the record for the youngest Pakistani Test captain and the third youngest Test captain in history (22 years 15 days). He played 87 Tests matches for Pakistan during his international cricket career from 1989 to 2003. He has 373 wickets in test cricket with a brilliant average of 23.56. Younis also has 22 five-wicket hauls and 5 ten-wicket hauls to his name.

3. Matt Henry | 38* Innings

New Zealand’s Matt Henry is potentially two Tests and four innings away from an all-time record of Lillee and Younis after the Kiwi speedster struck in his first over of Zimbabwe’s second innings on the third day of the second Test. Henry dismissed opener Brian Bennett for a duck, and that made it the 38th consecutive innings of him taking at least one wicket.

Since the start of 2024, Henry is now taken 64 wickets at an average of 15.96. No bowler who has taken 60+ wickets during this period, not even Jasprit Bumrah, has maintained a better average. January 3, 2021, in Christchurch (second innings) against Pakistan was the last time Henry failed to take a wicket in an innings in Tests.

Also Read: Most Test Centuries in Cricket History

4. Kagiso Rabada | 38 Innings

Proteas pace ace Kagiso Rabada is the most lethal bowler in Test history. He also has 38 consecutive innings of taking at least one wicket. Rabada (39.1) also holds the record for the best SR in Test cricket history among players with more than 150 Test wickets.

In 71 Tests, Rabada managed to take 336 wickets so far with an average of 21.74. He also has 17 five-wicket hauls and four ten-wicket hauls to his name. 

BCCI has announced the schedule for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025 which begins on August 28 in Bengaluru. After this, the announcement of the names of team captains has also started. This time also, like the old format, teams from four zones will participate in it. Now, as per the latest developments, the squad of West Zone has been announced.

While Shardul Thakur has been made the new captain of the team, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have not found a place in the team.

Also Read: Sachin-Sourav, Mahela-Sanga: 5 best cricketing friendships in history

Shreyas and Jaiswal will play under Shardul's captaincy

The West Zone team has been announced for the Duleep Trophy. This time the captaincy has been handed over to Shardul Thakur. Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal will be seen playing under the captaincy of Shardul Thakur. Apart from this, Sarfaraz Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tushar Deshpande have also been included in the team.  

However, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, who have been playing continuously for this team, are not seen in the squad this time.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane last played a Test match for India in 2023. Pujara played a crucial role in India’s Test series victories in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21. Notably, Rahane captained Team India to a memorable Border-Gavaskar Trophy win in 2020-21 despite several key players being unavailable.

Shreyas Iyer set to available for West Zone

Shreyas Iyer had made himself available for the upcoming Duleep Trophy. The middle-order batter has played 14 Test matches for India. However, he has not been part of the Test setup since February 2024, when he last featured against England.

Iyer was a key figure in India’s Champions Trophy-winning campaign in Dubai earlier this year. He also scored 480 runs in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy at an average of 68.57, including two centuries. He continued his form into the IPL, where he led Punjab Kings to their first final in over a decade.

Also Read: ICC Rankings: Abhishek Sharma becomes No.1 T20I batter, Gill and Hardik at top in ODI, Bumrah in tests

Duleep Trophy | West Zone squad

Shardul Thakur (Capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Aarya Desai, Harvik Desai (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Jaymeet Patel, Manan Hingrajia, Saurabh Nawale (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Dharmendra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Arzan Nagwaswala.

Duleep Trophy 2025 full schedule

According to Cricbuzz, South Zone and West Zone have been handed direct qualification into the Duleep Trophy 2025 semifinals. And the two quarterfinals are already set.

Australia pacer Mitchell Starc scripted history in the third Test against West Indies in Jamaica as he grabbed the fastest five-wicket haul in Test history, in just 15 balls. No player in world cricket has ever managed to take a 5-wicket haul in fewer deliveries. With this Starc also surpassed Chaminda Vaas in terms of taking most wickets in tests by left-arm seamers. 

In this article, we will take a look at those left-arm bowlers with most wickets in tests.

Also Read: 5 wickets in 15 balls! Mitchell Starc creates record for the fastest five-wicket haul in test cricket

Most Wickets in Tests by left-arm seamers

7. Neil Wagner | 260

Neil Wagner, the former New Zealand fast bowler, claimed 260 wickets in 64 Tests at an average of 27.60 for New Zealand, from 2012 until his international retirement in February 2024, earning plaudits along the way for his indefatigable left-arm line of attack. 

He was a key member of the team that reached number one in the world and won the inaugural Test world championship in 2021. Among career highlights were his roles in famous victories over England in 2018 and last year's one-run win over the same opposition in Wellington.

6. Zaheer Khan | 311

Zaheer Khan, India’s finest left-arm seamer, has played 92 tests and took 311 wickets with 11 five-wicket hauls. Known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, Zaheer was a key figure in many of India’s overseas wins. His standout performances in England and South Africa helped India win Test matches in challenging conditions. 

5. Mitchell Johnson | 313

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, who struck fear into batsmen around the world but especially on the bouncy pitches of his homeland, took 313 wickets in 73 tests at an average of 28.40.

He was a pretty decent bowler throughout his career, but during his peak, he was one of the terrifying bowlers in the world. One of the most notable performances from him was the 2013-14 Ashes in Australia, where he ripped apart the English lineup, match-after-match, innings-after-innings.

4. Trent Boult | 317

Trent Boult is a New Zealand cricketer who is known for being a threat to batsmen all over the world because of his ability to swing the ball on both sides. Boult debuted in Test matches in 2011. He’s the fourth-highest wicket-taker as a left-arm seamers in Tests as he took 317 wickets in 78 matches. He owns 18 four-wicket hauls, 10 five-wicket hauls and 1 ten-wicket haul.

His best bowling figures in Test innings are 6 for 30 runs and a single Test match 10 wickets for 80 runs. He was a part of the winning squad of the ICC World Test Championship in 2019-2021.

3. Chaminda Vaas | 355

In a time when Murali was taking all the plaudits, Vaas was undoubtedly Sri Lanka’s greatest fast bowler, picking up 355 wickets in 111 Tests at an impressive average of 29.58. He’s the only seamer from the island nation to have over 200 wickets and took career best figures of 7/71 with his deceptive swing and persistent line and length.

2. Mitchell Starc | 402

Australian speedster Mitchell Starc set several records in the 3rd and final Test against West Indies in Kingston. In his 100th Test appearance, Starc took seven wickets, including six in the final innings. He recorded a fifer off just 15 balls. 

Starc returned figures worth 6/9 from 7.3 overs in the fourth innings, his career-best in the format. This was his 16th Test fifer. Starc, who became the 16th Aussie to complete 100 Test appearances, has now 402 wickets as a left-arm seamers in test at an average of 27.02.

Also Read: West Indies vs Australia: West Indies register second lowest test score in an inning by a team

1. Wasim Akram | 414

Regarded as one of the greatest left-arm fast bowlers to have played the game, Wasim Akram represented Pakistan in 104 Tests between 1985 and 2002, claiming 414 wickets at an average of 23.06. He also took 25 5-wicket halls. Among these, he took two Test hat-tricks. His best bowling figures in a test match were 7/119. 

On his 100th test, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc created a record which would be very hard to break in future. During the second innings of the pink-ball test between West Indies and Australia in Kingston, Starc registered his 16th five-wicket haul in test cricket in just 15 balls. 

In doing that, he broke the record for the fastest five-wicket haul (from the start of bowling innings) in test cricket history, breaking Ernie Toshack, Stuart Broad and Scott Boland's previous record of 19 balls.

Starc's record-breaking five-wicket haul in 15 balls

Here is how Mitchell Starc broke the record for the fastest five-wicket haul in test cricket history.

1st wicket: 1st ball - John Campbell

Starc dismissed John Campbell with a beautiful outswinger in the first ball of the second inning. The ball moved a bit, and it was enough to produce an edge to substitute wicket-keeper Josh Inglish.

2nd wicket: 5th ball - Kevlon Anderson

In the fifth ball of the first over, Kevlon Anderson left a delivery from Starc, who was able to make the ball come in sharply. The ball hit the pad, and the umpire was not hesitant to rule him out, as Kevlon Anderson did not offer any shot. Although he took the DRS, only to be proven wrong by the review. 

3rd wicket: 6th ball - Brandon King

It was a typical Mitchell Starc dismissal. Brandon King was bamboozled by a big inswinging delivery from Starc.

King went for a big drive through the long off region, but the ball came back sharply to go through his bat and pad and took an inside edge before hitting the stumps. 

Starc had three wickets in his and Australia's first over. 

Read Also | West Indies vs Australia: West Indies register second lowest test score in an inning by a team

4th wicket: 13th ball - Mikyle Louis

Although West Indies batters were able to play out Starc's second over, the left-arm pacer struck in the first ball of his third over. 

Another big inswinging delivery at 142.4 kmph, and Mikyle Louis did not have any answer to that. Louis lounged into a big defence, but the ball came back in sharply and went on to hit the front of his back pad, in front of the middle. 

The right-handed batter did not even wait for the umpire's decision and started walking back.

That was Starc's 400th test wicket. He is only the second left-arm pacer ever to take 400 test wickets. Only Wasim Akram is ahead of him at the moment with 419 test wickets.

5th wicket: 15th ball - Shai Hope

Two balls later, Starc got Shai Hope out with the same formula. 

Hope did not know which way the ball was going and had his weight on the back foot. He was late before the inswinger hit his front pad.

Hope went for the DRS, only to know that the ball was crushing the middle of leg stump. 

After the 15th ball, Starc's bowling figure showed 2.3-2-2-5. 

Fastest five-wicket hauls (from the start of bowling innings) in test cricket