Adding to the drama is the return of Shreyas Iyer to Eden Gardens — but this time in Punjab Kings colours. Iyer’s departure from KKR before the mega auction was one of the most debated moves of the season. While KKR’s management claimed Iyer wanted to explore his market value, the batter felt his contributions hadn’t been fully appreciated by the franchise.
Since then, Shreyas has gone from strength to strength. He has become a serial winner, adding five major titles to his resume since May 2024, including the IPL with KKR, and domestic trophies like the Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with Mumbai. Recognized as the ICC Player of the Month for March and reinstated into the BCCI’s central contracts, Shreyas is enjoying a purple patch.
Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop summed it up best: “Wherever Shreyas has gone, he’s made teams better.”
Punjab Kings are certainly feeling the “Shreyas effect” this season. Alongside head coach Ricky Ponting, Iyer has formed a formidable leadership duo that’s driving PBKS forward.
“He’s definitely a very good captain. The way he reads the game and makes bowling changes shows how involved he is,” said Punjab’s in-form batter Nehal Wadhera.
With stakes high for both sides, Saturday’s clash at Eden promises fireworks — on and off the field.
KKR vs RBKS Squads
Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Anukul Roy, Rovman Powell, Luvnith Sisodia, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Spencer Johnson, Chetan Sakariya, Mayank Markande
Punjab Kings Squad: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer(c), Josh Inglis(w), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Praveen Dubey, Glenn Maxwell, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur, Aaron Hardie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kuldeep Sen, Harnoor Singh, Vishnu Vinod, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash
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