Toss & Conditions

Ekana has been difficult for batting this season: no team has crossed 200 in six innings, and the IPL 2026 average first-innings score here is 155. The match will be played on a black-soil surface, with fast bowlers often getting early assistance and the pitch expected to be two-paced again.

Head-to-Head

LSG lead the last three H2H meetings 2-1, winning on 9 Apr 2026 (by 3 wickets) and 8 Apr 2025 (by 4 runs), while KKR won on 5 May 2024 (by 98 runs).

KKKolkata Knight Riders 181/4

LSLucknow Super Giants 182/7

2026-04-09 · LSG won by 3 wickets (with 0 balls remaining)

KKKolkata Knight Riders 234/7

LSLucknow Super Giants 238/3

2025-04-08 · LSG won by 4 runs

LSLucknow Super Giants 137/10

KKKolkata Knight Riders 235/6

2024-05-05 · KKR won by 98 runs

Lucknow Super Giants

LSG are 9th in the IPL regular season with 4 points (2W-5L, NRR -1.277), currently outside the playoff zone. They have lost their last three matches: vs RR by 40 runs, vs PBKS by 54 runs, and vs RCB by 5 wickets.

LSLucknow Super Giants 119/10

RRRajasthan Royals 159/6

2026-04-22 · RR won by 40 runs

LSLucknow Super Giants 200/5

PBPunjab Kings 254/7

2026-04-19 · PBKS won by 54 runs

LSLucknow Super Giants 146/10

RCRoyal Challengers Bengaluru 149/5

2026-04-15 · RCB won by 5 wickets (with 29 balls remaining)

Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR are 10th in the IPL regular season with 3 points (1W-5L, NRR -0.879), currently outside the playoff zone. Their last three results are: beat RR by 4 wickets, lost to GT by 5 wickets, and lost to CSK by 32 runs.

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)

KKKolkata Knight Riders 160/7

CSChennai Super Kings 192/5

2026-04-14 · CSK won by 32 runs

Playing XI

News & Facts

Key Stats

Verdict

Key Stats edge LSG 4-3, driven by points (4 vs 3), Elo (1430 vs 1416), and H2H (2 of last 3), while KKR lead on NRR (-0.88 vs -1.28) and death economy (9.5 vs 11.0). Models are split but lean KKR on average: LSG 48% vs KKR 52% (ML 49-51, AI1 46-54, AI2 54-46, Math 43-57). Bookmakers favor LSG at 56% (1.73) vs KKR 44% (2.13), with the decisive listed factors being LSG’s 0-3 last-three form and KKR’s better NRR by 0.51.

Rinku drags KKR back

Rinku Singh turned a slipping chase into a heist, hauling Kolkata Knight Riders level and then through a Super Over after the 20 overs finished tied at 155. With KKR wobbling early and Lucknow Super Giants’ new-ball burst setting a cagey tone, Rinku’s 87 off 52 became the innings that refused to die. He found just enough support late, and when the pressure peaked, KKR held their nerve in the one-over shootout to take the points.

Death overs flip the script

The match swung hardest at the back end. LSG recovered from 38 for 3 in the powerplay to finish with a punchy 51 in the last five, but KKR’s chase finished even louder: 55 without loss in the final five overs. That contrast told the story — LSG’s bowlers, so sharp up front, couldn’t land the same yorkers and slower balls at the death, and Rinku punished anything in the slot. Once KKR entered the last five needing a manageable rate, the momentum was theirs.

Mohsin’s five, Rinku’s reply

Mohsin Khan’s 5 for 23 looked match-winning, ripping through KKR’s top order and keeping the chase on a short leash. Sunil Narine’s 3 for 24 and Vaibhav Arora’s 2 for 24 ensured LSG never escaped despite a 57-run stand between Aiden Markram and Rishabh Pant. But the night belonged to Rinku’s control under heat, with Cameron Green’s brisk 34 adding crucial late thrust before the Super Over sealed it.

Pre-match clues, different route

The build-up suggested KKR’s edge would come from tighter death bowling and a slightly better overall run-rate profile, while LSG’s small Elo and head-to-head lean kept them in front for many. What unfolded was messier: LSG’s recent skid showed in another stuttering powerplay, yet they still set a defendable total. KKR didn’t dominate early either, but their finishing power — the very area flagged as a separator — ultimately decided it.