Lucknow Super Giants Choose to Bowl First Against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026

In the IPL 2026 match between Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders, LSG has chosen to bowl first after winning the toss. Captain Rishabh Pant expressed confidence in his bowlers following their recent victory. KKR's Ajinkya Rahane confirmed Sunil Narine's return to the lineup while Varun Chakaravarthy remains sidelined due to injury. Both teams are set to showcase their best players in this exciting encounter. Read on for detailed team lineups and captain insights.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 9, 2026, 20:09 IST

LSG Decides to Bowl First

In the 15th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have opted to have the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bat first at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Thursday. The LSG, led by Rishabh Pant, is coming off a victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad, while KKR, under Ajinkya Rahane, is eager to secure their first win of the season.

Toss Insights from the Captains

During the toss, LSG captain Pant expressed, "We are looking to bowl first. Our goal is to put the opposition under pressure. We have confidence in our bowlers to perform well. Winning definitely boosts team morale, and we emphasize positivity and intent. We are fielding the same team as before, with no changes."

KKR's Rahane mentioned that Varun Chakaravarthy is still recovering from an injury, while Sunil Narine is fit to play in today's match. He stated, "We preferred to bowl first. Reflecting on the last game, we have made one change: Sunil replaces Blessing, as Varun is still healing. Once Cameron Green is ready to bowl, our combination will improve, allowing Rovman Powell to play alongside him."

Team Lineups

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI)

Ajinkya Rahane(c), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Navdeep Saini, Kartik Tyagi

Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI)

Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Manimaran Siddharth, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav

Kolkata Knight Riders Impact Subs

Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Tejasvi Dahiya, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert

Lucknow Super Giants Impact Subs

Ayush Badoni, Matthew Breetzke, Shahbaz Ahmad, Mayank Yadav, Himmat Singh.