Kolkata Knight Riders will go up against table-toppers Gujarat Titans in match No. 39 of the IPL 2025 season at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday. Defending champions KKR are languishing in 7th place on the points table with just 6 points from 7 matches.
The Knight Riders endured a baffling collapse in their previous outing, getting bundled out for just 95 while chasing a modest 112 against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur — a stark indicator of the deepening crisis within their batting unit. However, there’s a sliver of optimism on the horizon.
The defending IPL champions have brought back Abhishek Nayar, who was recently relieved of his duties as India’s assistant coach by the BCCI — even before the decision was formally announced. Nayar, a former KKR assistant coach, returns to familiar territory and is expected to reinvigorate a struggling side that has just six points from seven matches. With seven games left, KKR must win at least five to remain in playoff contention.
Nayar has already begun working closely with underperforming batters like vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer and Ramandeep Singh. Iyer, the franchise’s most expensive buy this season at Rs 23.75 crore, has managed only 121 runs at an average of 24.20. Ramandeep has fared worse, scoring just 29 runs in six innings.
The seasoned duo of Andre Russell (34 runs in five innings) and Rinku Singh (116 runs at 38.66) has also failed to deliver consistently. Only Ajinkya Rahane (221 runs, including two fifties) and the promising Angkrish Raghuvanshi (170 runs) have shown glimpses of form, although the 20-year-old has struggled with consistency.
At the top of the order, Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine have provided occasional sparks but haven’t strung together impactful performances. KKR will hope Nayar’s tactical insights can bring stability to their faltering lineup.
Two pitches have been prepared for the upcoming match, one of which has a thicker grass cover yet to be trimmed. The final choice will hinge on the team’s strategy, even as KKR management has expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of a true ‘home advantage’.
More than conditions, however, the Mullanpur debacle could serve as a turning point. Back in IPL 2014, KKR experienced a similar implosion while chasing 171 against Rajasthan Royals — collapsing from 121/0 to 160/6, with Pravin Tambe claiming a hat-trick. That setback, however, sparked a remarkable turnaround as they went on a nine-match winning streak and lifted the title.
A top order of the highest order
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— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) April 21, 2025
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans IPL 2025 Match No. 39 Details
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Date & Time: April 21, 730pm IST onwards
Live Streaming and TV details: Star Sports Network and JioHotstar website and app.
KKR vs GT IPL 2025 Match No. 39 Dream11 Prediction
Wicketkeepers: Quinton de Kock, Jos Buttler
Batters: Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ajinkya Rahane, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan
All-rounders: Venkatesh Iyer, Sunil Narine
Bowlers: Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna
Captain: Jos Buttler
Vice-captain: Ajinkya Rahane
KKR vs GT IPL 2025 Match No 39 Predicted 12
Kolkata Knight Riders: Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Moeen Ali/Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma/Washington Sundar/Kulwant Khejroliya
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