Match Details:
- Match: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants( KKR vs LSG ), 15th Match, Indian Premier League, 2026
- Date and Time: April 9, 02:00 pm GMT / 08:00 pm BD / 07:30 pm local time
- Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
KKR vs LSG Tips & Match Prediction:
Who will win the toss? – Lucknow Super GiantsWho will win the match? – Kolkata Knight RidersKolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants Preview:
Kolkata Knight Riders( KKR ) is set to face Lucknow Super Giants( LSG ) in their 15th match during the Indian Premier League( IPL ) 2026. This match is scheduled to take place at the Eden Gardens on Thursday, April 9.
Kolkata Knight Riders are currently missing key players like Mitchell Starc and Shreyas Iyer, which has slightly weakened their squad. In their last match, they managed to earn a single point after rain stopped play, but their batting concerns were visible as they lost two wickets within the first four overs before the interruption. Captain Ajinkya Rahane is expected to open the innings alongside Finn Allen. Allen has looked explosive so far, smashing 28 runs off just 7 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad and maintaining a strike rate of 229 across three games, hitting 11 fours and 4 sixes in only 31 balls. Rahane began the season strongly with 67 off 40 balls against Mumbai Indians, though he has added only 16 runs in the following two matches.
Cameron Green is likely to bat at number three but is yet to make a big contribution, scoring just 24 runs from three games so far. Much of the attention will be on young batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who has been impressive with half-centuries in the first two matches and remained unbeaten before rain halted the third. He has already scored 110 runs at a strike rate of over 169, making him one of the key batters to watch. In the middle order, he will get support from Rinku Singh, Anukul Roy, and Ramandeep Singh. Rinku has chipped in with useful scores of 33 and 35 in the first two matches, while Ramandeep has struggled so far with only 14 runs in two games.
KKR’s bowling unit has not been very convincing either. They have taken only 11 wickets across two matches. Blessing Muzarabani will lead the pace attack along with Roy, Vaibhav Arora, and Kartik Tyagi. Muzarabani stood out in the last game with figures of 4 for 41 and will be the bowler to watch. Arora has picked up three wickets but has been expensive with an economy rate above 12, and Tyagi has also conceded runs at a similar rate.
Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants finally secured their first win of the season, edging past Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets in the final over. Their bowlers set up the victory with Mohammed Shami delivering an excellent spell of 2 for 9 in four overs. Later, captain Rishabh Pant anchored the chase with an unbeaten 68 from 50 balls to guide the team home.
For LSG, Aiden Markram will open the batting alongside Mitchell Marsh. Markram played a solid knock of 45 in the last game, while Marsh has scored 49 runs in two matches at a strike rate of 122.5. Pant will come in at number three. After being unfortunately run out in the first game, he bounced back with a half-century in the second match, although he is still searching for his first six of the season.
The middle order has not been very consistent so far. Abdul Samad will join forces with Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran. Samad has managed 52 runs in two games, while Badoni and Pooran have contributed just 21 runs combined. However, Pooran has a strong record against KKR. In LSG’s last two victories over them, he was named Player of the Match after smashing unbeaten half-centuries of 87 and 58 at a strike rate of 220.
The LSG bowling attack will again be led by Shami, supported by Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav, and Avesh Khan. Shami’s tight spell in the previous game makes him a key player to watch. Yadav has been consistent with two wickets in each of his first two matches, while Avesh also chipped in with two wickets in the last game despite Rathi proving a bit expensive.
KKR vs LSG Possible Playing XI:
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani.
Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Manimaran Siddharth, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav.
KKR vs LSG Recent 5 Match Performance:
KKR vs LSG Head-To-Head Records:
| Stats | Match | KKR Won | LSG Won | NR | Tie |
| Overall | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Recent 5 Matches | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
KKR vs LSG Toss Prediction:
We’re hoping the team wins the toss and chooses to bowl first.
KKR vs LSG Pitch Report:
The pitch at Eden Gardens is generally known to be batting-friendly, especially in T20 matches, offering good pace and bounce that allows stroke-makers to play freely. Early in the innings, fast bowlers can get some swing with the new ball, but as the match progresses, the surface becomes easier for batting. Spinners may get a bit of grip in the middle overs, but they usually don’t dominate unless the pitch is on the drier side. The outfield is quick, which helps in scoring boundaries consistently. In night matches, dew plays a big role, making it harder for bowlers to grip the ball and giving an advantage to the chasing team. Overall, it’s a high-scoring venue where totals of 170–190 in T20s are quite common, and teams often prefer to bowl first after winning the toss.
KKR vs LSG Weather Report:
The weather at Eden Gardens on April 9 around 7:30 PM (local time) is expected to be generally favorable for cricket. The temperature should be around 27–29°C during the evening with partly cloudy skies. There is only a slight chance of rain earlier in the day, but conditions are likely to stay dry by match time. Humidity may be moderate to slightly high, which is typical for Kolkata evenings, while a light breeze could move across the ground. As the match progresses, dew may develop later in the night, making the ball a bit harder to grip for bowlers and possibly giving some advantage to the team batting second. Overall, the weather conditions should allow for a full and uninterrupted game.
Expected Scores:
1st Innings Expected Score: 175 – 195 runs2nd Innings Expected Score: 165 – 185 runsKey Notes:
Eden Gardens usually provides a good batting surface with consistent bounce, allowing batters to play their shots freely.
The outfield is quick and boundaries are relatively short, which often leads to high-scoring T20 games.
Fast bowlers may get slight swing with the new ball, especially in the first few overs under lights.
As the match progresses, the pitch generally remains true for batting, making stroke-play easier in the middle overs.
Spinners can still play a role, particularly if the surface slows down slightly later in the innings.
Dew is likely in the second innings, which could make it tougher for bowlers to grip the ball and might favour the chasing team.Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants Full Squad:
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Umran Malik, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep, Sarthak Ranjan, Tejasvi Dahiya, Daksh Kamra.
Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Arshin Kulkarni, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav, Wanindu Hasaranga, Anrich Nortje, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Josh Inglis, Abdul Samad, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Manimaran Siddharth, Akash Maharaj Singh, Naman Tiwari, Arjun Tendulkar, Mukul Choudhary.
