Kolkata's volatile pre-monsoon weather has once again come into focus ahead of the IPL 2026 clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, May 16. Thunderstorms and rain lashed the city on Friday evening, forcing a lengthy interruption during the ISL clash between Mumbai City FC and Mohammedan SC with play halted for nearly 40 minutes in the second half before resuming at the Kishore Bharati Stadium.
The weather, however, is expected to improve in time for the IPL 2026 fixture between Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens this evening.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Kolkata is likely to witness a partly cloudy sky with chances of thunder and lightning later in the day. Maximum temperatures are expected to hover between 36°C and 37°C, while the minimum could settle around 27°C.
By match time at 7:30 PM IST, temperatures are expected to dip into the low 30s. While there remains a slight threat of rain, forecast models currently indicate conditions favourable for a full game. Dew is expected to play a significant role later in the evening, potentially making bowling difficult in the second innings and favouring the chasing side.
The match itself carries massive playoff implications.
Gujarat Titans enter the contest second on the table with 16 points, level with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and a victory could take them to the top of the standings. GT arrive in Kolkata on the back of a dominant five-match winning streak, including an 82-run demolition job of Sunrisers Hyderabad in their previous outing.
Sai Sudharsan scored a steady 61 against SRH before Washington Sundar's aggressive 50 off 33 lifted GT to 168/5 on a difficult surface. With the ball, the GT pacers wreaked havoc, with Kagiso Rabada (3/28), Jason Holder (3/20) and Prasidh Krishna (2/23) bundling out SRH for just 86 within 15 overs.
KKR, meanwhile, sit eighth and face a virtual must-win situation to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. The three-time champions had built momentum with a four-match winning streak, however that ended earlier this week with a six-wicket defeat to RCB.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi's 71 and Rinku Singh's unbeaten 49 lifted KKR to a highly competitive total of 192/4.
However, Virat Kohli bounced back from back-to-back ducks with an unbeaten century, scoring 105* off 60 balls to seal the win with five balls to spare.
ALSO READ | ISL Title Scenarios: Kolkata Derby To Define Race — What East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Others Need
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.