KKR search for light amidst the gloom

KKR have hit the wall early in their campaign: with two home games in the next four days, they would hope for a quick turnaround, starting with Punjab Kings. That is, if rain doesn't become a killjoy.

"It's not the end of the world for us": When Ajinkya Rahane addressed the dressing room after slipping badly against Sunrisers Hyderabad, it quietly signalled the push to reset, and reset fast. Two games in, the "end" shouldn't be an immediate worry. But in the IPL, a crack can quickly become a crevasse.

Rahane's post-match rant about his batting came off as a surprise, but he does have the highest drop-off in strike rate from powerplay to middle overs in IPL since 2023. The team has other issues: the weakened pace attack is still a bit unsettled, the middle order has a tendency to crumble, and Varun Chakaravarthy has been planets away from his best.

Their positive overall record against Punjab Kings has also reversed since 2023, with one win in five games against them. At home, they have won only one of their last five completed games.

On to Punjab: two wins out of two, not yet clinical but efficient. Their opening bowlers have failed to make a dent in the Powerplay (Arshdeep is still wicketless), but Vyshak Vijaykumar and Yuzvendra Chahal have held things back.

Importantly, Shreyas Iyer looks in fine nick, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh have been their gung-ho selves, and Cooper Connolly has emerged as a surprise bruiser at three. The middle order has acted slightly flimsy, which KKR will look to exploit, having pulled things back slightly after the 10-over mark against SRH.

What to expect: The surface for the first match had a bit of hold, allowing cutters to be used effectively. Nitish Kumar Reddy described it as slightly "two-paced". Afternoon showers cancelled both outdoor practice sessions, and Monday is expected to see scattered thunderstorms around the start of the match. The ground remained covered through the evening on Sunday.

Injuries/unavailabilities: The 'absent' curse has hit them hard, leaving them with a slightly lopsided lineup. Cameron Green is still likely a pure batter for another week, even though he bowled for a significant period on Saturday. The wait continues for Matheesha Pathirana.

KKR's batting in the middle overs (7-15) has been the worst in the IPL since 2025 (lowest strike rate, least sixes). How they fare against Yuzvendra Chahal could be a defining factor. Against KKR, the leggie has three four-fers. Rahane hinted at including an extra batter: it is to be seen if they consider Manish Pandey, who batted for nearly an hour and a half in separate nets. Rachin Ravindra also spent significant time taking advice and throwdowns from Abhishek Nayar, but finding an overseas spot for him would be tough.

Iyer returns to his old haunts, having led KKR to the title in 2024. Aside from the familiarity of conditions, he also has a fine record against them, having scored 481 runs at 40.08, and a strike rate of 149.84 (two centuries, three fifties).

"You'll obviously see him bowl in training as you can't all of a sudden just bowl in the game. So that's why he's been working away since he got here, working himself back to match fitness and that takes time. I'd say the communication has been between us and Australian Cricket and I'm sure he's not far away from bowling in a match," - KKR bowling coach Tim Southee on Cameron Green bowling in the nets, but still not being match-fit to bowl

"They both talk on the same lines. They both back each other. I haven't seen a single rift or a difference in opinion between the captain and the coach, which is superb for the other support staff and the players all around. So it's the same thing that's coming from top to the bottom. And there's no difference of opinion anywhere." - PBKS assistant bowling coach Trevor Gonsalves, on what makes the Shreyas Iyer-Ricky Ponting partnership work.

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