IPL 2026 Today's Match: KKR vs LSG playing 11, batters vs bowlers matchups

Kolkata Knight Riders will be hoping to end their winless streak this season when they take the field against Lucknow Super Giants in Kolkata

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in match 15 of IPL 2026 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata today, with hopes of ending their winless streak this season. Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant has won the toss and elected to bowl first on the night.  On the other hand, LSG will be looking to get their second straight win and a possible entry into the top four.

 

KKR come into the clash with a point from their previous outing against Punjab Kings (PBKS), but the washout masked underlying concerns. The three-time champions were struggling at 25 for 2 in just 3.4 overs before rain intervened, highlighting their continued top-order inconsistency. More worrying, however, has been their bowling unit, which has leaked 220-plus runs in both completed matches this season. The home side will be desperate for a sharper, more disciplined performance with the ball to stay competitive.

 

In contrast, LSG have shown resilience early in the campaign. After suffering a tough opening defeat against Delhi Capitals (DC), they bounced back impressively with a comfortable five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). While their top order is yet to consistently fire, LSG’s strength lies in a solid middle order and a bowling attack that has looked in rhythm.

 

Heading into this fixture, LSG will be aiming to build momentum with back-to-back wins and push themselves into the top half of the points table. KKR, meanwhile, will be banking on home conditions and a collective turnaround to register their first full victory of the season.

 

But before the two sides finally take the ground, let’s take a look at the captaincy records of both skippers, their expected playing 11 combinations and key player match-ups for the game. 

Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy record in IPL (KKR)

• Matches: 41
• Wins: 14
• Losses: 24
• N/R: 3
• Win percentage: 36.84%

Rishabh Pant's captaincy record in IPL (LSG)

• Matches: 59
• Wins: 30
• Losses: 28
• N/R: 1
• Win percentage: 51.72%

IPL 2026: KKR playing 11 vs LSG

Kolkata Knight Riders are likely to consider multiple changes as they search for their first win of the season after three outings. Their top order has looked unsettled, with the Ajinkya Rahane–Finn Allen opening pair failing to deliver consistent starts, prompting a possible rethink.

 

Tim Seifert could return to partner Allen, while Rachin Ravindra is also in contention to strengthen the middle order and provide a spin option. The bigger concern remains the lack of impact from Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, both yet to influence games, though they are expected to be available again.

 

Cameron Green’s struggles with the bat and his inability to bowl have added to the imbalance, while Daksh Kamra remains an option as a surprise inclusion.

 

Kolkata Knight Riders playing 11: Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (w), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Blessing Muzarabani

 

Impact players: Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Kartik Tyagi, Saurabh Dubey, Tejasvi Dahiya

 

KKR squad for IPL 2026:

 

Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh (vc), Finn Allen, Tejasvi Dahiya (wk), Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Sarthak Ranjan, Tim Seifert (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Daksh Kamra, Cameron Green, Sunil Narine, Rachin Ravindra, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Saurabh Dubey, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani, Matheesha Pathirana, Navdeep Saini, Prashant Solanki, Umran Malik, Varun Chakravarthy

IPL 2026: LSG playing 11 vs KKR

Lucknow Super Giants head into the contest with momentum after a strong all-round display in their previous outing. Mohammed Shami has been central to their early success, using seam movement effectively in the powerplay, and will once again be their key weapon.

 

The bowling unit has functioned cohesively, with support from Prince Yadav and Digvesh Rathi adding variety. In batting, Rishabh Pant has settled into the No. 3 role, anchoring the innings with composure, while Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram provide stability at the top.

 

The side’s ability to strike early with the ball has been a defining feature, and they are unlikely to make major changes as they look to build on a balanced combination.

 

Lucknow Super Giants playing 11: Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Manimaran Siddharth, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav

 

Impact players: Anrich Nortje, Ayush Badoni

 

LSG squad for IPL 2026:

 

Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Glenn Phillips, Jason Holder, Ashok Sharma, Luke Wood, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Tom Banton

IPL 2026: KKR vs LSG key player battles

KKR batters vs LSG bowlers

 

Batter	Bowler	Inns	Runs	Outs	Strike Rate
Ajinkya Rahane	Mohammed Shami	8	94	0	165
Sunil Narine	Anrich Nortje	6	17	2	89
Sunil Narine	Mohammed Shami	5	8	2	67

 

LSG batters vs KKR bowlers

 

Batter	Bowler	Inns	Runs	Outs	Strike Rate
Mitchell Marsh	Varun Chakravarthy	5	35	1	130
Aiden Markram	Varun Chakravarthy	13	120	6	145
Aiden Markram	Sunil Narine	8	47	1	92
Nicholas Pooran	Varun Chakravarthy	9	76	2	165
Nicholas Pooran	Sunil Narine	27	193	4	134
Rishabh Pant	Varun Chakravarthy	6	31	3	103
Rishabh Pant	Sunil Narine	9	52	0	113
Ayush Badoni	Sunil Narine	4	30	3	100
Abdul Samad	Varun Chakravarthy	6	35	1	135

 

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