The IPL 2026 action continues with a high-pressure clash between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Both teams come into this contest after disappointing losses in their opening matches and will be desperate to register their first points of the season. With Eden Gardens traditionally producing high-scoring encounters, fans are expecting a thrilling contest under lights.
Full Squads & Player Availability
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Squad
Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh (vc), Finn Allen, Tejasvi Dahiya, Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Sarthak Ranjan, Tim Seifert, Rahul Tripathi, Daksh Kamra, Cameron Green, Sunil Narine, Rachin Ravindra, Varun Chakravarthy, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Saurabh Dubey, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani, Navdeep Saini, Prashant Solanki, Umran Malik
Unavailable / Injury Notes:
- Harshit Rana (hamstring) – ruled out
- Akash Deep (back) – ruled out
- Cameron Green is available but may not bowl due to workload management
- Ajinkya Rahane continues as stand-in captain in the absence of Nitish Rana
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Squad
Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Liam Livingstone, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Aniket Verma, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari, Shivam Mavi, Salil Arora, Shivang Kumar, Omkar Tarmale, Krains Fuletra, Praful Hinge, Amit Kumar, Sakib Hussain, Jack Edwards
Availability Notes:
- Pat Cummins missed the first match due to injury; may still be uncertain
- Brydon Carse is expected to return
- Ishan Kishan continues as acting captain
Probable Playing XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders
Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Blessing Muzarabani
Impact Options: Rovman Powell, Kartik Tyagi
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (c/wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Liam Livingstone, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Pat Cummins / Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga
Impact Options: Salil Arora, Shivam Mavi
Team Form & Head-to-Head
KKR Recent Form
- Posted 220/4 in their first game but still lost by 6 wickets to Mumbai
- Mixed form from last season with inconsistent bowling
SRH Recent Form
- Scored 202/5 against RCB but failed to defend the total
- Middle-order remains their strength
Head-to-Head Record
- KKR lead 20–10 overall
- At Eden Gardens: KKR dominate 8–3
- SRH won their last meeting in 2025 by a massive 110-run margin
Pitch & Weather Report
Eden Gardens is expected to offer a flat, batting-friendly surface with plenty of runs available. Scores between 180–200 are common, especially in night games.
- First innings score: 180+ likely
- Dew Factor: Strong in 2nd innings → chasing becomes easier
- Weather: Clear skies, 25–27°C at night, high humidity, no rain
Tactical Breakdown
KKR Batting vs SRH Bowling
- Finn Allen, Green, and Rinku form a powerful top-middle core
- Without Cummins, SRH depend on Unadkat, Carse, and Malinga for breakthroughs
- Spin could struggle on this flat surface
SRH Batting vs KKR Bowling
- The trio of Head, Abhishek, and Kishan can dominate early overs
- KKR’s main threat is pace duo Muzarabani–Arora
- Narine and Chakravarthy will need ideal conditions to be effective
Key Battles to Watch
- Travis Head vs Varun Chakravarthy – spin vs power
- Rinku Singh vs SRH death bowlers
- Klaasen vs Narine – middle-over control
- Finn Allen vs Jaydev Unadkat – swing vs aggression
Players to Watch
KKR
- Rinku Singh: Game-changer in the middle order
- Cameron Green: Balance with bat and potential overs
- Sunil Narine: Needs to rediscover rhythm
SRH
- Abhishek Sharma: Explosive start expected
- Heinrich Klaasen: Dangerous finisher
- Harshal Patel: Key in controlling run flow
Match Prediction
KKR enter this match with a stronger batting lineup and home advantage. If dew comes in during the chase, SRH may have an opening—but KKR’s top order looks in better touch.