Kolkata Knight Riders return to Eden Gardens on Thursday, still searching for their first win of the Indian Premier League 2026 season. The Ajinkya Rahane-led side sit second from bottom on the table, with early questions already emerging around squad balance and execution.
The pre-monsoon kalboishakhi storms or nor'westers have conspired to add further misery on the Knights, with their last match against Punjab Kings abandoned without a result after just 3.4 overs.
The ‘No Result' saw each team gain a point apiece, but crucially means KKR remain winless after three games and another abandoned game would leave the three-time champions with very little margin for error as they look to mount a playoff challenge.
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LSG, meanwhile, are looking to build on their first win and climb into the top half of the standings. Rishabh Pant led from the front in the last game, scoring an unbeaten albeit uncharacteristic 68* (50) to seal a five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad with just 1 ball to spare.
LSG looked a more settled side in their last outing, led by an in-form Mohammed Shami who got rid of both SRH openers and finished with match-winning figures of 2/9 from his four overs.
KKR are still looking to strike the right balance, especially with an injury-hit bowling attack. While Cameron Green is finally expected to return to bowling for the match against LSG, Rahane will be sweating on the fitness of his two leading spinners Varun Chakravarthy (hand injury) and Sunil Narine (illness) who were left out of the playing XI in the last game.
The spotlight though will be firmly on Green who has failed to justify his Rs 25.2-crore price tag so far, having been limited to only batting due to bowling restrictions imposed by Cricket Australia's strict rehabilitation protocol.
Green has scores of 18, 2 and 4 in the last three games and with the reins finally off, he will be eager to find his rhythm and help his team record their first win of the season.
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Weather, Pitch Report
The India Meteorological Department has predicted a high chance of rain in Kolkata during the match. The IMD has issued a yellow alert, saying a high likelihood of moderate thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds during the evening hours, directly overlapping with the scheduled 7:30 p.m. IST start.
However, the excellent drainage systems at the Eden Gardens and the full ground covers could help to ensure a quick turnaround and provide for at least a reduced contest even if the showers hit. The surface, due to the recent showers will contain some moisture, offering early assistance to seamers before flattening into a high-scoring track. This will make the Toss crucial with teams likely to prefer bowling first.
Players To Watch
Mohammed Shami (LSG): Fresh from a 2/9 spell, Shami's new-ball threat could be decisive on a surface he calls his ‘home' having represented Bengal since 2011.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi (KKR): One of the few positives for KKR so far, the 21-year-old has two fifties in three innings helping stabilise an otherwise inconsistent batting line-up.
Likely Playing XIs
- Kolkata Knight Riders: Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Navdeep Saini
- Lucknow SuperGiants: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Digvesh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav
LIVE Telecast
The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports channels.
LIVE Stream
KKR vs LSG can also be streamed LIVE on the JioHotstar app and website.
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