KKR vs PBKS Head to Head IPL 2021: full squads, new signings, player replacement, injury updates
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are enjoying a splendid run in the second leg of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL 2021), securing victories in three of four games so far since the restart. The Knight Riders are currently fourth in the table and will aim to strengthen their hold on the spot when they meet the struggling Punjab Kings on Friday.
The KL Rahul-led side had almost always shown promise but have failed to deliver results. In the second leg, the PBKS have won only one game so far, and are currently sixth with four wins in 11 matches.
As both the sides meet in Dubai, let's take a look at their squads and head-to-head stats:
Squads
The Knight Riders received a blow during their game against the Chennai Super Kings when star all-rounder Andre Russell suffered with an injury during a fielding effort on the boundary line. He was ultimately ruled out in their last game against Delhi Capitals, with Tim Southee taking his place.
There remains doubt over Russell's availability for the game against PBKS. The side faced little problems against the Delhi Capitals in a low-scoring encounter where they defeated Rishabh Pant's side by three wickets -- however, Russell's extended absence may put added pressure on KKR's lower-middle order as captain Eoin Morgan has been on a rough patch since the resumption.
KKR Squad: Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Pawan Negi, Tim Seifert, Shakib al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Karun Nair, Harbhajan Singh, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer, Tim Southee
Follow IPL 2021 Live Coverage Here
The Punjab Kings, meanwhile, were forced to leave out Mayank Agarwal in their game against Mumbai Indians. He was replaced by Mandeep Singh in the opening order but the batsman failed to provide a brisk start to the innings, scoring 15 off 14 deliveries.
There has been no update over Mayank's current injury status.
Squad: KL Rahul (c), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Prabhsimran Singh, Mohammed Shami, Chris Jordan, Darshan Nalkande, Ravi Bishnoi, Murugan Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ishan Porel, Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar, Nathan Ellis
Head to Head
Matches Played: 28
KKR Won: 19
PBKS Won: 9
