KKR vs PBKS: Yuzvendra Chahal, PBKS' top wicket-taker, poses threat to Kolkata

Kolkata (The Uttam Hindu): The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will face off in the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday. KKR will have to be wary of Yuzvendra Chahal in this match.

KKR hasn't had a good start to the IPL. The team is languishing in ninth place in the points table after losing both of its opening matches of the season. At home, KKR will aim to secure two points against Punjab Kings. Punjab Kings leg-spinner Chahal could pose a significant threat to KKR's mission. Yuzvendra Chahal has been playing in the IPL for a long time. After long and successful stints with RCB and RR, he has been with the Punjab Kings since 2025. Chahal, regardless of which team he plays in, has always been a major threat to Kolkata. This is why Chahal has the most wickets against KKR in the IPL.

Chahal, a member of the IPL team since 2011, has played 24 matches against KKR, taking a total of 33 wickets in 23 innings. During this period, he has achieved the feat of taking 5 wickets in a match once and 4 wickets in a match twice. Therefore, KKR will have to be wary of Chahal.

Looking at Chahal's performance in IPL 2026, the experienced right-arm leg-spinner has taken three wickets in two matches. The other most successful bowler against KKR is RCB fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has 32 wickets in 30 matches. Chahal is also the most successful bowler in IPL history, having taken 224 wickets in 176 matches. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is second with 202 wickets in 192 matches.