KKR vs SRH, IPL 2026, Match Prediction: Who will win today’s game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad?

The stage is set for a high-octane clash at the historic Eden Gardens as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) host the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 6th match of the IPL 2026. Both teams are searching for their first win of the season after stumbling in their opening fixtures.

The Kolkata Knight Riders enter this contest under the steady leadership of Ajinkya Rahane, though they are under immediate pressure to bounce back following an opening defeat to Mumbai Indians. The squad faces some early-season turbulence with the absence of Harshit Rana and Akash Deep—the latter being replaced by Saurabh Dubey—while the lethal slinger Matheesha Pathirana remains sidelined while awaiting an NOC from Sri Lanka Cricket. All eyes will be on record-signing Cameron Green, who is expected to feature primarily as a specialist batter for now, and the veteran spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. After struggling for rhythm in their first outing, the ‘Twin Towers’ of KKR’s spin attack will be desperate to find purchase on the familiar Eden Gardens surface and reclaim their status as the league’s most restrictive pair.

Meanwhile, the Sunrisers Hyderabad narrative centres on a homecoming for Pat Cummins, who returns to the ground where he spent many of his formative IPL years. However, his participation remains clouded by fitness concerns; should he be unable to lead, the explosive Ishan Kishan is tipped to step in as stand-in captain. Despite the leadership uncertainty, the Sunrisers boast arguably the most intimidating batting core in the competition, featuring the high-octane trio of Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, and Abhishek Sharma. With David Payne recently joining the ranks as an injury replacement for Jack Edwards, SRH look to unleash their signature brand of aggressive cricket and capitalize on a KKR bowling attack that is still searching for its final form.

KKR vs SRH, IPL 2026: Match details

Date and Time: April 2; 7:30 pm IST / 2 pm GMT
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

KKR vs SRH, Head-to-Head Record in IPL

Matches played: 30 | KKR won: 20 | SRH won: 10 | No result/Tied: 0

Eden Gardens Pitch Report

The Eden Gardens surface has shed its old reputation as a spin sanctuary, evolving into a genuine batter’s paradise characterized by its dry, hard nature. While fast bowlers can expect some initial movement under the lights with the new ball, the track quickly flattens out, often becoming a graveyard for bowlers as the match progresses. Consequently, a first-innings total of 170 is no longer safe, with 200+ scores becoming the modern standard here. Given the clear skies and the inevitable arrival of heavy evening dew, the toss becomes crucial; captains will almost certainly look to chase to capitalize on the skidding ball and dampened outfield in the second half.

Also READ: IPL 2026: Kris Srikkanth lambasts KKR spinner Varun Chakaravarthy for dismal bowling peformance against MI

Squads

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

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins* (captain), Ishan Kishan (stand-in captain), Aniket Verma, R Smaran, Salil Arora, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Krains Fuletra, Zeeshan Ansari, Amit Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Shivam Mavi, Onkar Tarmale, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge, Liam Livingstone*, Brydon Carse*, David Payne*, Travis Head*, Heinrich Klaasen*, Kamindu Mendis*, Eshan Malinga*