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*

KKR vs SRH, IPL 2026: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• KKR wins the toss and bowls first
• SRH’s powerplay score: 60-70
• SRH’s total score: 210-220

Case 2:

• SRH wins the toss and bowls first
• KKR’s powerplay score: 50-60
• KKR’s total score: 190-200

Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest

Also WATCH: Rinku Singh grabs attention with hilarious bat theft antics after MI vs KKR IPL 2026 clash

NEW DELHI: Contrary to West Bengal govt’s apprehensions that scrutiny of deleted voters’ claims for inclusion in voters’ lists would not be completed before filing of nominations for assembly elections later this month, Supreme Court on Wednesday said the Calcutta HC chief justice has informed that all 60 lakhodd claims would be adjudicated by April 7.A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said the Calcutta HC CJ has informed that out of 60,06,675 objections to deletion of names from voters’ lists, judicial officers have decided 47,30,000 by Wednesday. “Calcutta HC CJ has informed us that the pending objections are likely to be adjudicated by April 7. Keeping the aforesaid date in mind, post these matters on April 6,” the bench said.

SC posts deleted Bengal voters matter for further hearing Mon

To appeal against the decisions of judicial officers, who were entrusted the task of electoral registration officers by SC using its extraordinary powers under Article 142 in the face of the state govt expressing serious doubts about the fairness of the process adopted by EC officials, SC had directed constitution of election tribunals. Nineteen such tribunals, comprising former HC CJs and former HC judges, have been notified by EC.The bench said the appellate tribunals will have the discretion “to revisit the full records, including the reasons assigned by judicial officers while adjudicating objections, before deciding appeals filed before them, and also to inform the parties of these reasons”. “The tribunals are free to evolve their own procedures in accordance with principles of natural justice, and are requested to adjudicate the appeals after providing the parties with a fair opportunity of being heard,” it said, adding those intending to file appeals before the tribunals would be provided with reasons given by judicial officers in rejecting their claims.At this juncture, senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee objected to EC giving a day’s training to former CJs and judges prior to the commencement of work in the tribunals from Thursday. “Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies. They must act independently. Why the training,” he asked.CJI Kant said, “They are former CJs and judges of HCs. Obviously, they will act independently. Training is for handling computer and soft copies of documents. Don’t raise frivolous objections.” Election commission counsel and senior advocate D S Naidu said it is not training, but only orientation.Justice Bagchi said, “They have vast experience in deciding matters. You (Banerjee) must not be worried about EC officials influencing judges.” Senior advocate Kapil Sibal said, “We must have the liberty to approach the Calcutta HC CJ when we have some grievance.”The bench said, “Obviously, you have the right to approach the Calcutta HC CJ. But don’t go in a group or in a delegation. If you send a political delegation, we will tell the CJ not to entertain such delegations. Mr. Banerjee, or the advocate general, can go and meet. Where is the necessity of political workers to go and meet the CJ?” Justice Bagchi said, “The problem is to the best of our knowledge and information, representations by political unions or associations are not only made to the Calcutta HC CJ but also to district judges. We do not want judicial officers to be disturbed in this manner.” “Do not play a double role — approach SC and at the same time continue politics with judicial officers who have been called upon to perform an exceptional duty which is not within the common run of their judicial work. When they are subjected to representations from various political hues and insinuations are made that they are siding with A or B, it becomes very difficult,” Justice Bagchi said.The apex court bench posted the matters on April 6 for further hearing.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Cameron Green, right, and captain Ajinkya Rahane (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Cameron Green bowling in the nets ahead of Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2026 clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad has quickly become a major talking point. It comes just days after the Australian all-rounder did not bowl in KKR’s opening defeat to the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, where the team failed to defend 221 and concerns over their bowling balance came into focus.The situation gained traction after KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane was asked about Green’s absence with the ball and replied, “That question you need to ask Cricket Australia.” He also admitted that Green’s bowling would add balance to the side, turning what seemed like a tactical call into a wider debate about workload management, franchise planning, and the influence of national boards during the IPL. Cricket Australia soon clarified their stance, stating that there was no last-minute restriction. Green, they explained, has been managing a lower back issue and is gradually building up his bowling workload. The franchise was reportedly aware of this plan before the tournament began, with a rough timeline of 10 to 12 days set for his return as a bowling option. This shifted the narrative from confusion to careful rehabilitation. Against that backdrop, Green bowling in the nets carries weight. It does not confirm that he will immediately resume full duties in matches, but it signals progress after a week in which the issue threatened to overshadow KKR’s campaign. For a player signed for a massive ₹25.20 crore in the IPL 2026 auction, expectations have naturally been centred around his full all-round contribution rather than just his batting. The timing is crucial for KKR. Green was brought in to provide balance across departments, and his absence as a bowler in the opening game exposed a gap that the opposition exploited. The debate that followed also raised a larger question about how much control franchises truly have over high-value players when fitness and workload are being monitored externally. For now, the situation appears to be moving forward. The controversy began with Green not bowling when KKR needed options, intensified with Rahane’s public remarks, and has now entered a more hopeful phase, with the all-rounder back practising with the ball. Whether that translates into match overs in the coming games remains to be seen, but it has at least eased some of the early pressure surrounding one of KKR’s biggest signings.