LSG, KKR look for revival after abysmal start to season

LSG went with the optimistic slogan “Ab apni baari hai (It’s our turn now)”. Four straight losses later, they sit ninth on the table. Bottom-placed KKR finally found a win vs RR after five losses and a washout.

LSG have drawn 42,000-strong home crowds but haven’t repaid them yet. Justin Langer called their losing streak “really frustrating”.

Batting has been LSG’s biggest letdown. Ayush Badoni, who opened just twice in T20 before, is now their preferred opener. Nicholas Pooran has a strike-rate of 82 from seven innings.

KKR have lost three times in the final over this season. Varun Chakaravarthy and Rinku Singh have finally found form. Matheesha Pathirana has joined the squad.

When: April 26, 2026, 7.30 PM IST
Where: BRSABV Ekana International Stadium, Lucknow
What to expect: Black-soil pitch — more runs and assistance for spinners.
Injuries/Availability: Josh Inglis could join next week after his wedding. Mayank Yadav conceded 56 runs in his return game.

Tactics: LSG have the best Powerplay bowling (14 wickets at 23.6, economy 7.85) and highest dot-ball percentage (49.6). KKR’s openers have the worst aggregate (144 runs at 20.6). Mohammed Shami vs Ajinkya Rahane: Rahane has faced nearly 10 overs of Shami without dismissal, striking at 168.

Probable XII – LSG: Ayush Badoni, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Himmat Singh, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Digvesh Rathi, Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav

Probable XII – KKR: Ajinkya Rahane, Tim Seifert/Manish Pandey, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Cam Green, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Kartik Tyagi, Matheesha Pathirana/Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy

Key Stats:

• Rahane has the most ducks by an IPL opener (12)
• Pooran’s strike-rate drop: 196.25 (IPL 2025) vs 82.02 (2026)
• LSG are the worst spin-bowling unit this year (7 wickets at 58.57, ER 10)

Quotes:

• Carl Crowe (LSG spin coach): “Our batting is a little bit short of where it needs to be… We are one match away from smashing it.”
• Anukul Roy (KKR): “(Win vs RR) boosted the confidence of the entire team… Everyone’s confident, hope we can continue winning.”