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Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings Betting Preview, Odds & Predictions

Simon Lewis

Editor

Last updated: 05 Apr 2026

Simon Lewis 05 Apr 2026

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Kolkata Knight Riders made a miserable start to their season, losing two on the bounce.
Punjab Kings are off to a flyer and are looking one of the favourites to hit the playoffs.
Explore betting opportunities in handicaps, batters to Score Over/Under Runs, bowlers to Take Over/Under Wickets markets and Match Sixes.

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Cooper Connolly hits out in the World Cup (Getty Images).

This Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings prediction preview looks ahead to the IPL group match played in India. The Punjab Kings topped the table last season, only to lose to RCB in the final by just 6 runs. Their start to the 2026 season suggests they will be near the top of the table again this season.

Match Details
Recent Form
Head-to-Head Record
Team News
Key Stats
Match Analysis
Betting Markets to Watch

The Knight Riders’ poor form cost them a spot in the playoffs at the end of last season and their start to the season has echoed their performance in 2025.

Match Details

Match	Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings
Competition	Indian Premier League
Date	6 April 2026
Time	16:00 SAST
Venue	Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India

Recent Form

Team	Last 5 Matches
Kolkata Knight Riders	L–LLL
Punjab Kings	LWLWW

The Knight Riders are near the bottom of the table after suffering big defeats in their opening two matches. The Kings picked up two solid wins on the bounce to start their season and put them 3rd spot on the table.

Head-to-Head Record

Date	Winner	Margin of victory	Competition
25 April 2025	No result	–	IPL
15 Apr 2025	Punjab Kings	16 runs	IPL
26 Apr 2024	Punjab Kings	8 wickets	IPL
8 May 2023	Kolkata Knight Riders	5 wickets	IPL
1 April 2023	Punjab Kings	7 runs	IPL

The Kings have dominated the Knight Riders in recent seasons, even beating them during the Knight Riders' title-winning season in 2024.

Team News

Kolkata Knight Riders: The home side’s struggles this season are in some part due to pacemen Mustafizur Rahman, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep and Matheesha Pathirana being unavailable. They have also yet to field New Zealand star players Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra.

Sunil Narine has struggled this season but they are staying loyal to him as he has played 191 times for the franchise since IPL 2012. Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green has scored just 20 runs in two innings and isn’t allowed to bowl due to a back injury, which has limited their bowling options.

Possible XI: Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani.

Punjab Kings: Cooper Connolly is shaping up as a star in the making, and his efforts have been backed up by Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer who have all put scores on the board. Their bowling line-up is also strong and performing well, with Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen, Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yuzvendra Chahal a force to be reckoned with.

Possible XI: Prabhsimran Singh, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Key Stats

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Angkrish Raghuvanshi has scored 29-ball 50s in both matches this season.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ Finn Allen hit 2 sixes in his 17-ball 37 against Mumbai Indians.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ Blessing Muzarabani took 4/41 against the Sunrisers.
Punjab Kings’ Cooper Connolly has been their best batter so far, scoring 108 runs in 2 matches (S/R 163).
Punjab Kings’ Priyansh Arya hit 4 sixes in his 11-ball 39 against CSK.
Punjab Kings’ Vijaykumar Vyshak has picked up 5 wickets in 2 matches at an economy rate of 9.00.

Match Analysis

The pitch at Eden Gardens is another ideal batting surface that should encourage high scores, with an average innings score in the last eight IPL games sitting at 202. The Sunrisers scored 226/8 at Eden Gardens against KKR in their opener, hitting 9 sixes, with KKR managing 7 as they were bowled out for 161 in 16 overs.

The Punjab top-order are also all in the runs, with the top four each scoring over 35 in their last match. Skipper Shreyas Iyer smacking a breezy 50 off 26 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes) as he looks to have rediscovered his World Cup form. He has scored 481 runs in 14 matches against the Knight Riders at an average of 41.

The Knight Riders’ pacemen will look to use the pitch’s early movement to try to knock over a few quick wickets to limit the damage from the Punjab Kings' top order.

Chasing will be tough if the target is over 210 given the pitch’s recent average score of 202. The small boundaries could play into the Punjab Kings’ top order, who have slammed 196 sixes since the start of 2025 to lead the IPL six-hit count. Priyansh Arya hit 7 boundaries in his 11-ball 39 at a strike-rate of 354.55 at Chennai, matched by Iyer’s 3 sixes and 4 fours.

The small boundaries will also play into the hands of the Knight Riders batters if they can get off to a good start, so there should be plenty of sixes in the match. Finn Allen averages 2 sixes per innings in T20s and T20Is, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Cameron Green and Ajinkya Rahane are also big six-hitters.

Betting Markets to Watch

Best Knight Riders Batter

Angkrish Raghuvanshi has scored 92, 23, 27, 51 & 52 in his last 5 knocks, so it’s a good bet that he will continue that form in this match. Finn Allen is an explosive batter and is always good to back to score over 20, having posted scores of 29, 100*, 37 & 28 in his last 5 matches.

Best Knight Riders Bowler

Blessing Muzarabani and Vaibhav Arora have shared seven wickets between them in their two matches. Arora has taken 2-3-1-1-2 wickets in his last 5 matches, but Muzarabani took 4/41 against the Sunrisers, knocking over 3 of their top four batters.

Score Over 22.5 Runs

Cooper Connolly has scored well in both innings for the Kings, notching 72* & 36. Prabhsimran Singh has also scored well, hitting 37 & 43 in the first 2 matches.

Best Punjab Kings Batter

Vijaykumar Vyshak picked up 3/34 & 2/38 in the opening 2 matches and was his side’s best bowler in each match.

Latest Odds

Market	Odds
Kolkata Knight Riders Win	2.1
Punjab Kings Win	1.75
Match to go to a Super Over	13.50

Odds with Easybet.co.za

Verdict

Kolkata Knight Riders v Punjab Kings

Angkrish Raghuvanshi is backed to be KKR’s best batter.
Blessing Muzarabani is a good shout as the Knight Riders’ best bowler.
Cooper Connolly is backed to score over 22.5 runs.
Vijaykumar Vyshak looks good as the Punjab Kings’ Best Bowler.

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