Toss & Conditions

This match will be played on the same pitch that hosted SRH vs RR on April 13. ESPN says all three completed matches on this wicket before this season were won chasing, but SRH defended 216 against RR on it, with fast bowlers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain sharing eight wickets.

Head-to-Head

SRH lead 2-1 in the last three meetings with KKR. The most recent match was on 2026-04-02, when SRH beat KKR by 65 runs. SRH made 226/8 and bowled KKR out for 161. The previous meeting on 2025-05-25 was another SRH win, by 110 runs (278/3 vs 168/10).

KKKolkata Knight Riders 161/10

SRSunrisers Hyderabad 226/8

2026-04-02 · SRH won by 65 runs

SRSunrisers Hyderabad 278/3

KKKolkata Knight Riders 168/10

2025-05-25 · SRH won by 110 runs

KKKolkata Knight Riders 200/6

SRSunrisers Hyderabad 120/10

2025-04-03 · KKR won by 80 runs

Sunrisers Hyderabad

SRH are 3rd in the IPL regular season with 12 points (6W-3L) and are currently in the playoff zone. They have won their last three matches: vs MI by 6 wickets (8 balls remaining), vs RR by 5 wickets (9 balls remaining), and vs DC by 47 runs.

SRSunrisers Hyderabad 249/4

MIMumbai Indians 243/5

2026-04-29 · SRH won by 6 wickets (with 8 balls remaining)

SRSunrisers Hyderabad 229/5

RRRajasthan Royals 228/6

2026-04-25 · SRH won by 5 wickets (with 9 balls remaining)

SRSunrisers Hyderabad 242/2

DCDelhi Capitals 195/9

2026-04-21 · SRH won by 47 runs

Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR are 8th in the IPL regular season with 5 points (2W-5L). Their last three results are: Super Over win after a tie vs LSG (155/7 vs 155/8), a 4-wicket win vs RR (2 balls remaining), and a 5-wicket loss vs GT (2 balls remaining).

KKKolkata Knight Riders 155/7

LSLucknow Super Giants 155/8

2026-04-26 · Match tied (KKR won the Super Over)

KKKolkata Knight Riders 161/6

RRRajasthan Royals 155/9

2026-04-19 · KKR won by 4 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)

KKKolkata Knight Riders 180/10

GTGujarat Titans 181/5

2026-04-17 · GT won by 5 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)

Playing XI

News & Facts

Key Stats

Verdict

All four models favour SRH, with SRH priced in a 63%–74% range and a 69% model average. Bookmakers also lean SRH at 59% (1.65) vs KKR at 41% (2.27). Key stats favour SRH 5-2, and the matchup is framed around SRH’s overall season edge versus whether KKR’s batting beyond Rinku can do enough before SRH’s death-overs unit takes control.

Varun turns the innings

Varun Chakaravarthy’s control through the middle overs flipped a match that had started on SRH’s terms. After Travis Head’s blistering start, SRH lost shape, were bowled out for 165 in 19 overs, and Kolkata Knight Riders chased it down at 169/3 with 10 balls to spare, riding a calm, methodical partnership that never let the asking rate bite.

SRH’s middle-overs collapse

The decisive passage was SRH’s slide from 71/1 in the powerplay to 148/7 by the end of the middle overs. They managed 77/6 in that phase, a sharp drop from the early 11.8 run rate, as KKR’s spinners and cutters forced miscues and stalled boundary options. The death overs only deepened the damage: SRH added just 17/3, turning what looked like a 185-plus platform into a chaseable total.

Raghuvanshi, Rahane set it up

Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 59 off 47 anchored the pursuit, and Ajinkya Rahane’s 43 off 36 ensured the tempo didn’t dip during the key 84-run stand. Varun’s 3/36 was the bowling performance that mattered most, repeatedly breaking SRH’s attempted rebuild. Even with Head’s 61 off 28 and a 61-run opening stand, SRH couldn’t find a second surge once the middle overs tightened.

Why the script flipped

Pre-match, SRH’s recent momentum and overall edge suggested they could boss the game, especially if they got ahead early — and the powerplay did exactly that. But the match-up swung the other way once KKR dragged the game into a slower, decision-heavy middle period. SRH’s advantage at the back end never arrived because they entered the final phase with too little in hand, and KKR’s chase stayed composed rather than relying on late-innings hitting.