File Pic: KKR and SRH players after their match in 2025. (Image Credit: IPL) Kolkata Knight Riders will be desperate for their spin duo to rediscover their edge when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the high-stakes IPL 2026 on Thursday, with both sides looking to bounce back from opening defeats.This match begins a crucial home phase for KKR, who will play three matches in seven days before a long break due to the upcoming polls. With four away games to follow and their next home game not until May 16, building momentum at the Eden Gardens – historically a stronghold with 54 wins in 95 games – becomes vital.
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Greenstone Lobo predicts IPL 2026 winner Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!However, KKR’s campaign has already been marred by bowling concerns. Injuries to Harshit Rana and Akash Deep along with Matheesha Pathirana’s unavailability and Cameron Green’s limited role have weakened their attack. This lack of depth was exposed in their opener where they failed to defend 220 against Mumbai.The bigger concern remains the form of spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, who have both struggled to make their mark. On a surface expected to offer relief to both seamen and spinners, their revival could be key.KKR may also consider bringing in Rovman Powell for more firepower, especially with Green not bowling to manage the workload.The problems are similar for SRH. Despite a strong batting line-up that included Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Travis Head, their bowling looked vulnerable in the absence of skipper Pat Cummins, who is yet to regain full fitness. They failed to defend 201 in their opening match, exposing their lack of control.Loaded with batting power but struggling for balance, both teams will rely heavily on their pitchers to step up as they chase their first win of the season.
KKR vs SRH Head-to-Head
- Total number of matches played: 30
- Kolkata Knight Riders: 20
- Sunrisers Hyderabad: 10
KKR vs SRH: Pitch Report
The match is likely to be played on the same surface used for the New Zealand-South Africa T20 World Cup semi-final. Traditionally known for high scores, the pitch is a bit more grassy this time, as noted by SRH head coach Daniel Vettori. He expects to offer more “hold” than sharp turns, suggesting assistance to both batsmen and seamers rather than outright spin dominance.
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KKR vs SRH: Predicted XI
Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted XI: Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (week), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Blessing Muzarabani.Impact Sub: Kartik TyagiSunrisers Hyderabad Predicted XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (c & wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Aniket Verma, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Liam Livingstone, David Payne, Harshal PatelImpact Sub: Eshan Malinga/Jaydev Unadkat
KKR vs SRH: Kolkata Weather Update
Bright sunshine and intense heat are expected during the day, with temperatures reaching up to 37°C. As the evening progresses, conditions will clear but remain humid and the temperature will drop to around 25C.It practically does not rain during match hours. Temperatures will drop slightly as the night progresses, gradually dropping from around 30°C at the start to nearly 27°C later, ensuring warm but playable conditions throughout.
KKR vs SRH: Live Streaming Details
KKR vs SRH will be held at Eden Gardens, Kolkata and the match is scheduled to start at 19:30 IST. The game will be telecast on Star Sports Network while live streaming will be available on JioHotstar.
Teams KKR vs SRH
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ro 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, Vunvarbthy Rakuly, Varunkrachin Rakul Arora, Saurabh Dubey, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani, Navdeep Saini, Prashant Solanki and Umran Malik.Sunrisers Hyderabad: Ishan Kishan (c), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari, Ar Liam Mavistone, Salam Shiv Tarmale, Krains Fuletra, Praful Hinge, Amit Kumar, Sakib Hussain, Jack Edwards and Pat Cummins.
