IPL match today, KKR vs CSK: Playing XI Prediction, head-to-head, Eden Gardens pitch report, weather in Kolkata

Kolkata Knight Riders face a must-win clash against Chennai Super Kings at Eden Gardens on Wednesday, with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread. KKR, currently on 11 points, must win all three of their remaining matches to reach 17, with qualification likely coming down to net run rate and other results. They come into the game on the back of a dramatic one-run win over Rajasthan Royals, boosted by Andre Russell’s explosive return to form.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. Venkatesh Iyer, under pressure due to his hefty price tag, will be keen to contribute significantly, while Russell’s battle against CSK’s spinners, especially Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, could prove decisive on a surface offering some grip. Who's that IPL player?CSK, though out of the playoff race, are not expected to make it easy for the hosts. Youngster Ayush Mhatre has been a revelation, stepping in for injured captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. The 17-year-old made an instant impact with a 32-run cameo against Mumbai Indians and followed it up with a stunning 94 off 48 balls versus RCB, despite the team’s narrow loss. With little to lose, CSK are likely to play with freedom, making for a high-stakes and entertaining encounter between two high-profile sides.Pitch report for KKR vs CSKThe Eden Gardens surface presents a fascinating challenge. With dimensions of 66m and 60m square, and 74m straight, it’s a relatively small ground, favouring big hitters. The pitch itself appears dry and dark with patches of dead grass and a few bare areas. Although it lacks live grass, the surface is holding together well and is unlikely to break up or behave inconsistently like the occasional jigsaw-type Eden wicket. There could be some early grip for spinners as it may slow down in the first half, but overall, it looks good for batting. KKR vs CSK Playing XI PredictionKolkata Knight Riders predicted XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Moeen Ali, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav AroraImpact Player – Harshit RanaChennai Super Kings predicted XI: Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Deepak Hooda, MS Dhoni (w/c), Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Matheesha PathiranaImpact Player - Shivam DubeKKR vs CSK squads, IPL match TodayKolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Quinton de Kock (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy and Chetan Sakariya.Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (c, wk), Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Deepak Hooda, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana, Anshul Kamboj, R Ashwin, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Jamie Overton, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, Shreyas Gopal, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, C Andre Siddarth, Urvil Patel.KKR vs CSK Head-to-Head RecordPlayed: 30KKR wins: 11CSK wins: 19KKR vs CSK IPL 2025, Kolkata weather predictionKolkata will experience a partly sunny and very warm Wednesday, with a chance of isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon, but the weather is expected to clear up by evening. During game time from 7 to 11 PM, the sky will remain clear with 0% chance of rain, although it may turn cloudy after 10 PM. The temperature will hover between 30°C and 33°C, and high humidity levels ranging from 72% to 84% are expected, especially after rain on Tuesday. Overall, hot and humid conditions are forecast during the match, but no weather interruptions are likely.