IPL 2026, Match 15: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants Match Preview

Published - 08 Apr 2026, 13:22 IST | Updated - 08 Apr 2026, 13:23 IST

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) play host to the Lucknow Super Giants for match 15 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday, April 9. This game will be played at the iconic Eden Gardens.

The Knights have not had the kind of start they would have envisaged. After losing to the Mumbai Indians by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium, the Ajinkya Rahane-led side returned to the Eden Gardens and were beaten by 65 runs by Sunrisers Hyderabad. On Monday, they faced Punjab Kings, but the match got washed out without a result.

Many fans and experts felt that KKR dodged a bullet thanks to the rain as their decision to bat first in overcast conditions was baffling and they had lost the wickets of Finn Allen and Cameron Green inside the first four overs before rain stopped play. Varun Chakaravarthy got injured ahead of the last game, while Narine fell ill. Both the mystery spinners missed the last game. KKR fans would be hoping that the talismanic duo recovers in time for Thursday's encounter.

On the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants have only played two games so far. They started with a clash against the Delhi Capitals at home. On a sluggish track, Rishabh Pant's bowlers had Delhi on the mat at 26/4, defending a 142-run target. However, Sameer Rizvi's brilliance took the visitors home in 17.1 overs.

Last week, Lucknow registered their first win of the season as they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets on the back of a stunning bowling performance. Two of the biggest positives to emerge from the match was the form shown by experienced campaigners Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Shami.

As per the weather forecast, there could be a spell of rain in the morning and another in the afternoon. However, the match should go on uninterrupted. Talking about the pitch, there could be some moisture underneath it given the amount of rain that has hit the City of Joy in the lead-up to the clash. Pacers could enjoy bowling with the new ball. Once the ball gets older, expect a lot of runs for the taking.

Ajinkya Rahane (C), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine/Rovman Powell, Varun Chakaravarthy/Navdeep Saini, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi Impact Player: Blessing Muzarabani

Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (C & WK), Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Manimaran Siddharth, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav