Picture Credit: BCCI
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won the toss and decided to bat first against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Eden Gardens on Monday.
KKR will look to secure their first win of the season, while Punjab aim to extend their winning streak to three matches.
The home side made two changes to their playing XI, bringing in Rovman Powell and Navdeep Saini in place of Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine. In contrast, Punjab Kings fielded an unchanged side.
After winning the toss, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane said the team preferred to bat first, observing that the pitch appeared favourable, slightly dry, and had minimal grass cover.
He explained that the changes were necessary as Varun Chakaravarthy sustained an injury while attempting a catch in the previous match, while Sunil Narine was unavailable for selection.
PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer stated that he would have chosen to bowl first as well and expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the toss.
He also highlighted his strong rapport with team mentor Ricky Ponting, noting that their association has strengthened since their time together at Delhi Capitals. Iyer described Ponting as a source of inspiration and said working alongside him has been a rewarding experience.
KKR began their campaign with a six-wicket defeat to the Mumbai Indians, followed by a 65-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings registered a three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in their opening match and then secured a five-wicket victory against Chennai Super Kings.
Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Cooper Connolly, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wicketkeeper), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Navdeep Saini, Vaibhav Arora and Kartik Tyagi.
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