KKR vs LSG Prediction & Match Preview – IPL 2026, 15th Match

Kolkata Knight Riders host Lucknow Super Giants in the 15th match of IPL 2026 at Eden Gardens on 9 April.

KKR earned a point in their most recent game after rain ended play, with their batting under pressure having lost two wickets inside four overs. Ajinkya Rahane is expected to open with Finn Allen, who has a strike rate of 229 across three games. Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been impressive, with two half-centuries and 110 runs at a strike rate above 169, and Rinku Singh has added useful scores. In the attack, Blessing Muzarabani took 4 for 41 last time, though Vaibhav Arora and Kartik Tyagi have been expensive.

Lucknow secured their first win of the season, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets in the last over. Mohammed Shami took 2 for 9 from four overs and captain Rishabh Pant anchored the chase with an unbeaten 68 from 50 balls. Aiden Markram scored 45 in that game and will open with Mitchell Marsh. Nicholas Pooran has a strong record against KKR, having been named Player of the Match in both of LSG’s last two wins against them with unbeaten 87 and 58.

We pick Kolkata Knight Riders, with Pooran and Shami the players most likely to disrupt that.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

Eden Gardens is generally good for batting in T20s, with pace and bounce that let stroke-makers play freely. New-ball swing is possible early, but the surface becomes easier as the innings progresses. Spinners can grip in the middle overs without usually dominating unless the pitch is dry. The outfield is quick, and dew at night makes the ball harder to grip, which helps the chasing team. Totals of 170–190 are quite common.

Weather

Kolkata is expected to be generally favourable around 7:30 pm on 9 April, with temperatures of about 27–29°C and partly cloudy skies. There is a slight chance of rain earlier in the day, but conditions should be dry by the start. Humidity may be moderate to slightly high, with a light breeze and some dew late on.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 175–195
• 2nd innings: 165–185

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