India, April 6 -- A beleaguered and increasingly rudderless Kolkata Knight Riders will need a strong turnaround to halt their poor start when they face an in-form Punjab Kings in their IPL clash here on Monday.

The three-time champions may point to the absence of frontline pacers Mustafizur Rahman, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep and Matheesha Pathirana for their early struggles, but the larger issue lies in a flawed team strategy that has left them staring at a third successive defeat.

The decision not to retain Shreyas Iyer, who led them to the 2024 title, raised eyebrows, and it has only looked worse in hindsight. Iyer went on to vindicate himself by leading Punjab Kings to runners-up finish in 2025, becoming the first captain to guide thre...