Punjab Kings will be hoping to take the positives from their earlier face-off against Kolkata Knight Riders at Mullanpur, where they defended the lowest score in IPL history and get out of the mid-table logjam when the two sides take on each other in the reverse fixture at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.

The Kings are currently at the fifth spot in the IPL points table with 10 points after winning five of their eight games so far, and head into the contest against KKR on the back of a seven-wicket loss to RCB in their previous match. A win against KKR will not only complete a season double for the Punjab outfit, but also keep them within the top four.

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The Knights, on the other hand, haven’t had the best of campaigns so far, as the defending champions are currently at the seventh spot, with just six points after losing five of their eight games so far. On a two-match losing run, KKR will desperately look to arrest the slide and get back to winning ways.

Other than the points on offer, this match also holds some nostalgic value as it will be played on the same date and venue where PBKS broke the record for the highest successful chase in T20 cricket. Last year, on April 26, Jonny Bairstow and Shahshank Singh guided PBKS to successfully chase down 262 against KKR in Kolkata.

Iyer’s return to Eden Gardens

While that’s from the team’s point of view, the important subplot of the contest is the return of Shreyas Iyer to the city that he once called home, and went on to guide the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title almost 11 months back.

However, in one of the most surprising off-season moves, he was let go by the franchise, and in PBKS, Iyer has once again proven his worth after being reunited with his former Delhi Capitals mentor Ricky Ponting.

Iyer has led the Punjab franchise from the front, tallying 263 runs with three half-centuries so far. However, he comes into the weekend game, carrying three single digit scores. Thus, he will look to rub off the rust from the bat, and make a statement, similar to what KL Rahul did the other night against his former franchise Lucknow Super Giants with a composed 57 not out.

Besides Iyer, Punjab’s top order comprising Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh have been impressive, while the likes of Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh and Josh Inglis are capable of shifting gears during the death overs.

KKR searching for momentum

On the other hand, KKR desperately need some momentum going their way, and while they are still in the race to the playoffs, they need to win atleast five of their remaining six league matches. With an unsettled top order, the Men-in-Purple will be challenged by a well-oiled PBKS bowling line-up led by the experienced Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal.

KKR’s middle-order trio of Andre Russell, Rinku Sing and Ramandeep Singh has failed to deliver the finishing punch this season, prompting calls for a shake-up. The team may be forced to bring in Caribbean all-rounder Rovman Powell, whose power-hitting and handy pace can add much-needed spark and balance.

Skipper Ajinkya Rahane has been their most consistent batters but the seasoned right-hander will need to be more effective in shifting gears when the situation demands. He will be wary of Yuzvendra Chahal, who dismantled KKR in their demoralising 95 all-out collapse only last week by claiming the wickets of Rahane, Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh in a devastating spell.

With just a solitary win from their four outings at the Eden Gardens this season, KKR will be expecting some luck riding their way in their backyard. The unfamiliarity of the Eden track that has traditionally assisted the spinners, has also worked against KKR this season, with their spin trio of Sunil Narine (2 wickets), Varun Chakravarthy (4 wickets) and Moeen Ali yet to strike in the two games he has played at the venue.

Squads:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Luvnith Sisodia (wk), Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Harshit Rana, Mayank Markande, Spencer Johnson, Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakaravarthy.

Punjab Kings: Harnoor Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash, Shashank Singh, Shreyas Iyer (c), Aaron Hardie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Glenn Maxwell, Marco Jansen, Marcus Stoinis, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Josh Inglis (wk), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Vishnu Vinod (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Kuldeep Sen, Praveen Dubey, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur and Yuzvendra Chahal.