Winless KKR host high-flying LSG at Eden:Lucknow have 4 wins in 6 matches vs Kolkata; Shami to sizzle again?

Three matches, two defeats, one narrow escape in the form of a washout. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have not had the campaign they would have liked to so far in IPL 2026. And now, they are up against a Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) outfit who are looking red hot (quite literally) and unstoppable, with two wins in as many matches. The iconic Eden Gardens is set to host the KKR vs LSG showdown on 9 April and it will start at 7:30 PM IST (Indian Standard Time). The toss is slated to take place at 7:00 PM. KKR and LSG have had quite contrasting campaigns thus far in IPL 2026. While the Knight Riders are yet to win even a single match, Lucknow have been among the impressive teams this season with one win and one loss. KKR vs LSG IPL 2026 Match Details Match info: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants, match 15
Date Time: 9 April, 2026, 7:30 PM IST (toss at 7:00 PM)
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
How to watch: JioHotstar Star Sports
How to follow: Follow the live coverage on the Bhaskar English App KKR vs LSG, head-to-head record LSG have historically fared well against KKR in IPL. The two teams have faced each other six times so far and Lucknow have had victories on four occasions. The Knight Riders have just two matches against the Rishabh Pant-led side. Last year, the KKR vs LSG figure at the Eden Gardens was a high-scoring one, with the teams aggregating 472. Lucknow eventually came out on top by just four runs. Angkrish Raghuvanshi, the shining light in Knights’ flop show Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been the only positive for the Kolkata Knight Riders so far in this campaign. The young batter has turned out to be the best from his team, hitting 110 runs in three matches while striking at 169.23. In the bowling department, Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani has been the best bowler, with four wickets so far. But although he has been amongst the wickets, Muzarabani has proven to be very expensive, something that the tall pacer would be keen to rectify. Sizzling Shami, phenomenal Pant key for LSG Mohammed Shami has been the standout performer for the Lucknow Super Giants so far and he will be expected to deliver on his home ground, the Eden Gardens. Against the Sunrisers, Shami was simply sensational, conceding just nine runs in four overs while taking two wickets and bowling 18 dot balls. Pant, on the other hand, played a captain’s knock with an unbeaten 68 off 50 balls and hit the winning runs. That performance is sure to instil in him some much-needed confidence as Lucknow look to unlock Pant 2.0. Ajinkya Rahane has upper hand over Mohammed Shami KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane has had the upper hand over Mohammed Shami in T20s. The right-hander has scored 94 runs in 57 balls off Shami and has a strike rate of 164.91. And interestingly, Shami has never dismissed Rahane in T20 cricket. Sunil Narine’s superior record against Aiden Markram Sunil Narine, should he play against LSG, will look to continue his impressive run against Aiden Markram in T20s. The star spinner has conceded just 47 runs in 51 balls against Markram in all of T20 cricket while dismissing him once. KKR would hope that the talismanic cricketer return to action after missing the Punjab Kings match due to illness. Eden Gardens pitch report The Eden Gardens pitch has produced high scores in the past and there’s no reason why the KKR vs LSG showdown would not see runs aplenty. Both teams have some seriously explosive batters and thus, lots of runs can be expected in this game. However, should there be overcast conditions, fast bowlers will have a big role to play as we saw in the little contest we had between KKR and PBKS, where Xavier Bartlett picked up two wickets in one over and seemed to be almost unplayable. Kolkata weather report The possibility of rain playing spoilsport for a second straight game in Kolkata remains likely. KKR did not get to practice on Tuesday (7 April) due to rain in Kolkata. That the ground was under covers was also seen in pictures posted by LSG on social media. Rain also hit Kolkata on 8 April. However, the chances of rain are slim and fans would hope that the weather gods show mercy on Thursday.