In the 12th match of the IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will take on Punjab Kings (PBKS). Kolkata Knight Riders did not perform well in their last match. They suffered a 65-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, handing them their second consecutive defeat of the tournament. Batting first, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a total of 226 runs. Chasing this, Kolkata did not have a good start. 

Although Angkrish Raghuvanshi kept the hopes alive by scoring 52 runs in 29 balls, and Rinku Singh scored 35 runs. But due to the poor performance of the rest of the batsmen, Kolkata was all out for just 161 runs. Bowling first, Blessing Muzarabani played a brilliant game, taking four wickets for 41 runs in four overs, while Vaibhav Arora also got two wickets.

On the other hand, the Punjab Kings performed well in the previous game as they won by 5 wickets against the Chennai Super Kings. Chennai, batting first, set a target of 210 runs, which Punjab successfully chased down in ‌18.4 overs. Punjab’s top order contributed effectively, with Prabhsimran Singh scoring 43 runs, while Shreyas Iyer played a match-winning knock of 50. Moreover, Priyansh Arya also played well and scored 39 off just 11 deliveries. In the bowling department, Vijaykumar Vyshak delivered an excellent spell, claiming two wickets for 38 runs in four overs, while Yuzvendra Chahal, Xavier Bartlett and Marco Jansen chipped in with one wicket each.

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The pitch at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, is generally considered ‌an excellent one for batting, with a fast outfield making runs easy. Flat pitch with true bounce, allowing batters to dominate. While fast bowlers can get early movement, it often slows down, aiding spinners. With small boundaries and dew as a factor, chasing is highly advantageous. The average first-inning score at this venue is 171 runs.

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