Some rivalries take years to develop; others spring up immediately – such as this one.
Kolkata will look to get their season back on track against an ambitious LSG side, hoping that Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine can provide them with a timely boost with their frontline spinners.
Fans closely following the Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Lucknow Super Giants Match Scorecard will be watching how these key bowlers influence the game and help KKR regain momentum in the tournament.
| Date / Season | Venue | KKR Score | LSG Score | Result | Player of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 2025 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 234/7 (20) | 238/3 (20) | LSG won by 4 runs | Nicholas Pooran |
| May 5, 2024 | Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | 235/6 (20) | 137 (16.1) | KKR won by 98 runs | Sunil Narine |
| Apr 14, 2024 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 162/2 (15.4) | 161/7 (20) | KKR won by 8 wickets | Phil Salt |
| May 20, 2023 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 175/7 (20) | 176/8 (20) | LSG won by 1 run | Nicholas Pooran |
| May 18, 2022 | DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai | 208/8 (20) | 210/0 (18.3) | LSG won by 10 wickets | Quinton de Kock |
KKR: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Blessing Muzarabani, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine
After suffering two defeats from their opening three games, Ajinkya Rahane’s men will be under tremendous pressure to deliver against Punjab Kings at home. Captain Rahane won the toss and elected to bat first; with conditions favorable for batting.
Unfortunately for KKR without Sunil Narine or Varun Chakravarthy in their bowling attack could prove pivotal against a powerful Punjab unit led by Shreyas Iyer; isolated performances from Kartik Tyagi and Angkrish Raghuvanshi offer hope; yet serious changes must occur for KKR to avoid yet another defeat.
Punjab are unbeaten so far this season under Iyer, leading his side to two victories from three matches and leading them to the 2024 final.
Iyer has created an excellent working relationship with head coach Ricky Ponting and appears a cohesive unit. Key contributors for Punjab include Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly while Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh have proven effective spinners for them.
KKR’s top-order problems remain an area of concern, as both Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green have not found their groove this term.
Meanwhile, Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh have struggled to establish themselves. Ajinkya Rahane leads their runs chart but his form has been inconsistent; management will hope for an explosive innings at Eden Gardens.
Eden Gardens pitch at Kolkata usually produces high-scoring games, with an average first innings score at Eden Gardens being 163. Its flat surface and ground dimensions provide equal advantages to both teams, though dew could play an influential role by making it hard for bowlers to grip the ball early on.
A consistent bounce and quick outfield makes chasing teams more dangerous – particularly lower order batsmen having more opportunity to accelerate in later innings.
The match will include several pivotal battles across its different phases. Mohammed Shami and Ajinkya Rahane’s face-off in the powerplay will be critical, with both bowlers using pace and seam bowling techniques to take wickets.
Varun Chakravarthy and Nicholas Pooran will play an essential role in the middle overs, with Nicholas Pooran’s adept spinning skills being key. Meanwhile, Prince Yadav and Rinku Singh’s contest for supremacy will determine how far India progress. Both teams prefer hitting long balls and are looking to take advantage of any mistakes by the opposition batsmen.
The match will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network in India with online streaming provided by JioHotstar – so you don’t miss any of IPL 2026 as KKR take on LSG at Eden Gardens in Kolkata! Subscribe to NDTV Sports for all the latest IPL updates.
LSG: Rishabh Pant (c), Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran
After an underwhelming start to IPL 2026, Ajinkya Rahane’s side needs to up its game with the bat. Finn Allen can add firepower at the top with his strike rate of 229 in three games while Cameron Green can make an impactful contribution from number seven.
Meanwhile Angkrish Raghuvanshi can provide support in the middle order while Sunil Narine can act as a floater player.
Rishabh Pant’s experiment to open the batting in LSG’s opener against Delhi Capitals came to a crashing halt after an unusual run-out early Wednesday.
The wicketkeeper-batsman who had predominantly batted down the order last season was looking to push himself higher up but was caught well short of his crease by Mukesh Kumar in Mukesh Kumar’s third over.
Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel took an aggressive tack when winning the toss and opting to bowl first on an otherwise dry Ekana Stadium pitch, hoping that fast bowlers Kuldeep Yadav and T Natarajan could provide assistance during the powerplay phase of play.
His decision proved right as Kuldeep Yadav and T Natarajan took wickets from Ayush Badoni and Aiden Markram respectively within few overs of bowling first.
Mohammed Shami will lead the speed attack alongside Mohsin Khan and Prince Yadav. All three possess high economy rates and must break through LSG’s resistance if they wish to keep the total modest.
Abdul Samad and Mukul Choudhary, in particular, could make an impressionful contribution with quick runs off lower order batsmen such as Blessing Muzarabani and Varun Chakravarthy in early innings; both should remain vigilant against Sunil Narine who has already hit two half centuries this season!
Prince Yadav
On Thursday, April 9 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, Kolkata Knight Riders led by Ajinkya Rahane will aim to get off to a winning start against Mumbai rivals led by Hardik Pandy, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav as match-winners.
Wankhede Stadium pitches are known for being batsman-friendly, with high-scoring matches frequently taking place here. Fast bowlers will find good bounce and pace from its wicket, while spinners must contend with dew at times when bowling fast. There’s minimal chance of rain, which makes conditions ideal for high-intensity game play.
Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine’s spin duo for KKR has an exceptional understanding and will be expected to deliver crucial breakthroughs during power play overs. Varun’s stellar form from last season could see him maintain his starting XI spot.
Prince Yadav and Digvesh Rathi could prove valuable for KKR as mystery spinners, while LSG fast bowler Mohammed Shami could pose a significant threat against KKR’s fragile batting lineup. Meanwhile, LSG fast bowlers led by Mohammed Shami could pose serious problems at home; his recent performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad will only further his confidence heading into this clash; with an ability to swing both ways, Shami could cause havoc for KKR.
