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Kolkata Knight Riders
Lucknow Super Giants
Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Lucknow Super Giants in the 15th match of IPL 2026 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. This fixture will likely produce another tight finish, as all 3 wins for LSG against KKR have come by margins of 4 runs or less.
KKR will enter this game without a win and is placed 8th. They have one point after their last match was washed out. Their campaign will include a 6-wicket loss to MI and a 65-run defeat to SRH. Their bowling unit will remain a concern, and key players will need to step up.
LSG will come in with momentum after a win over SRH. They have 2 points from 2 matches. Their chase of 157 in the last game showed control despite moments of pressure. Head-to-head results are close. LSG lead 3-2 in the last 5 meetings, with all 3 wins coming while defending totals.
Mohammed Shami has taken early wickets consistently, and against KKRβs unstable top order, he will get enough opportunities in powerplay and death overs to pick multiple wickets.
The betting tip is...
Mohammed Shami - Over 1.5 wickets
56 %
44 %
Kolkata Knight RidersLucknow Super GiantsAjinkya Rahane opened the innings with Finn Allen. Allen scored 28 off 7 balls against SRH and maintained a strike rate of 229 across 3 games, hitting 11 fours and 4 sixes in 31 balls. Rahane started with 67 off 40 balls against MI and has added only 16 runs in the next 2 games.
Cameron Green has managed just 24 runs in 3 games. Angkrish Raghuvanshi impressed with two half-centuries and stayed not out in the third game, scoring 110 runs at a strike rate of 169.23. Rinku Singh scored 33 and 35 in the first two games, while Ramandeep Singh added only 14 runs in 2 games.
The bowling attack struggled, taking 11 wickets in 2 games. Blessing Muzarabani leads with 4 for 41 in the last match. Vaibhav Arora picked 3 wickets but conceded runs at an economy rate above 12, similar to Kartik Tyagi.
Allen, Rahane and Raghuvanshi are the key batters.
Predicted Lineup: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani.
Mohammed Shami conceded just 9 runs and picked up 2 wickets in his 4 overs in the last match. Rishabh Pant then anchored the chase with an unbeaten 68 off 50 balls to secure the win.
Aiden Markram opened with Mitchell Marsh and scored 45 in the last game. Marsh managed 49 runs in 2 games at a strike rate of 122.5. Pant batted at number three, following a runout in the first game, with a half-century in the second, though he did not hit a six. Abdul Samad scored 52 runs in 2 games. Pooran had strong numbers against KKR, scoring 87* and 58 in previous wins at a strike rate of 220.
Shami led the bowling with support from Prince Yadav, who picked up 2 wickets in each game. Avesh Khan took 2 wickets in the last match, while Digvesh Singh Rathi conceded runs.
Markram, Marsh and Shami are the key players.
Predicted Lineup: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (c, wk), Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Manimaran Siddharth, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav.
Lucknow Super Giants will have the edge based on their bowling form. KKRβs bowling unit has struggled, and they have conceded runs at a high rate in both games. LSG bowlers have looked more disciplined, especially in the powerplay and middle overs.
Mohammed Shami has already shown control with 2 wickets for just 9 runs in the last match and has consistently picked wickets early. Prince Yadav has also supported well with 4 wickets in 2 games.
KKRβs top order has been inconsistent, which will give LSG bowlers more opportunities. Shami is likely to make a strong impact again as LSG are expected to win this game.
