IPL 2026: Can KKR spark a revival vs LSG or will rain spoil party in Kolkata again?

KKR are in desperate need for a revival of fortunes in their IPL 2026 campaign and will hope that the game against LSG can change their season around. With rain threat looming large, will Kolkata be able to find the right combination finally.

In Short

• KKR will welcome back Narine into the mix after he missed PBKS clash
• Kolkata's combination isn't still fully set for IPL 2026
• Pant's batting position will once again be in focus

Some were left to wonder if Ajinkya Rahane was a madman or a sorcerer. His decision to bat first against the Punjab Kings raised eyebrows, but some were left wondering what would have been the case after seeing RR thrash MI in Guwahati. Guess we will never know.

However, the batting performance from KKR against PBKS kind of showed what their season has been all about. The promise with the bat hasn't truly delivered despite some big names in their lineup and the bowling still remains a work in progress. To add to this all the noise around Ajinkya Rahane and his form and the failure of Cameron Green as their big-money buy, the three-time champions are in a bit of a panic state already.

Kolkata were saved in the end by the rain last time around against Punjab, as their batting seemed to be in a bit of disarray and were reeling at 25 for two.

The combination hasn't worked out, especially with Green not being able to bowl till now. There is some good news ahead of Thursday as the all-rounder is reportedly set to roll his arm over against Lucknow.

LSG have kind of started of in the manner that has defined them in the last few seasons. There is a lot to cheer about on the bowling front but inconsistency with the bat continues. Against SRH, they almost made a meal out of the contest before skipper Rishabh Pant bailed them out.

But the bowling led by Mohammed Shami will have their tails up at the Eden Gardens given the veteran pacer is coming back home. He seemed to be confident of having the edge in the contest, which will not be good news for KKR fans.

LSG have emerged as the standout powerplay bowling unit in IPL 2026, striking seven times in the opening six overs across two matches while conceding at an exceptional economy rate of just 4.58 — the best in the competition so far.

But adding to the excitement will be KKR's powerplay batting run-rate, which stands at 11.29, but they have lost six wickets during this phase.

Add to this the return of former Kolkata bowling coach Bharat Arun and spin bowling coach Carl Crowe, Lucknow could have some tricks up their sleeves to get the second win.

But with the weather in Kolkata being in prime focus, both teams will be hoping that the rain stays away and they can battle it out for two points.

WHO WILL KKR PICK?

For some teams in the IPL, the issue becomes about having an abundance of talent. But when it comes to KKR, the problem is about getting the right combination in place.

Adding to this are the injury woes that they have suffered this season, even before the first delivery was bowled. It was compounded by the absence of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy during the PBKS game.

But there is good news with Narine shaking off an abdominal niggle and is expected to slot in the lineup. However, it will once again raise an issue of the middle-order for KKR. After the struggles against MI and SRH, Kolkata got Rovman Powell in the lineup for the match against PBKS.

With Narine back, it could mean that Powell has to make way, which will be unfair on the former West Indies skipper. But given that Green is coming back with the ball, it does look like Powell will be the man making his way out of the side. A change they could make is to bring Tejasvi Singh in for Ramandeep Singh, who has struggled to make an impact.

For Varun, it is a finger injury and he seems to be back in training, bowling his full set ahead on the eve of the game. But it remains to be seen if KKR will risk him at this point.

KOLKATA: PITCH, WEATHER CONDITIONS AND MORE

Thursday’s contest will be staged on pitch No. 6 — the same strip used for the recent Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders encounter. Eden Gardens has generally produced high-scoring tracks of late, and another batting-friendly surface is expected. Weather, however, could become a major factor.

Conditions were overcast on the eve of the fixture, with showers predicted around sunset on matchday. The meteorological department has issued an orange alert for both Wednesday and Thursday, raising the likelihood of rain interruptions once again. Training sessions for both teams on Wednesday were also cut short after heavy rain and strong winds swept through the venue.

According to Accuweather, there is a ninty percent chance of rain on Thursday, meaning that we may be in for a long night.

WHERE WILL PANT BAT?

Rishabh Pant is an enigma when it comes to his batting. You never know what to expect from him on a given day. The 2025 season wasn't going according to plan for him till the very last game and he roared back to form with a brilliant hundred against RCB.

Once the 2026 season started, the backing was heavy and he was suddenly made to bat as an opener as LSG decided to break up the Markram-Marsh partnership. Adding to this, Nicholas Pooran was pushed down to No.5 and all of this failed.

Then against SRH, Pant was back to the No.3 spot, where he has been the most successful in his IPL career. The LSG skipper has scored a total of 626 runs at an average of 52.16 and a strike-rate of 167.82. During this time, he has scored a hundred and three fifties, with the latest one coming against SRH.

Pundits are of the opinion that it is his best spot to bat and it remains to be seen if he will stick at No.3 or continue to float all over the order.

KKR vs LSG: Predicted playing XIs

KKR: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh/Tejasvi Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Navdeep Saini, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani

Impact player: Finn Allen

LSG: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (wk, capt), Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, M Siddharth, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Digvesh Rathi, Prince Yadav

Impact player: Ayush Badoni

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