IPL 2026, Match 6: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Match Preview

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) cross swords at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, April 2, in match No. 6 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

Both teams are entering this contest on the back of defeats in their campaign openers. While KKR lost to the Mumbai Indians by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium, Sunrisers suffered a six-wicket defeat against the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

There are a few uncanny similarities between KKR and SRH this season. While the batting departments look formidable, the bowling attacks are not well-balanced. Injury concerns have also been a setback for both sides.

KKR are waiting for their premier fast bowler, Matheesha Pathirana, who is recovering from an injury sustained during the T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad's talismanic skipper Pat Cummins is also racing against time to get fit and is hoping to return to action midway through the IPL.

Eden Gardens has provided several run-fests in recent seasons. With two batting-heavy teams waiting to lock horns, fans can expect plenty of boundaries and sixes on Thursday. However, the bowlers could end up making all the difference.

KKR vs SRH: Match Details

KKR vs SRH: Head-to-Head record

Pitch Report: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

The Eden Gardens has been a great venue for chasing, especially in recent years. The highest successful run-chase in T20 cricket was notched up at this ground in IPL 2024 by the Punjab Kings when they amassed 262 runs in the second innings against KKR on April 26. Dew is also expected to play its part, and the captain who wins the toss will invariably want to bowl first. The ball could swing around for the first few overs. If the openers can get through that period unscathed, the batting side could go berserk.

KKR vs SRH: Predicted Playing XI

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): 

Ajinkya Rahane (C), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Blessing Muzarabani.
 
Impact Player: Kartik Tyagi

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): 

Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (C & WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Aniket Verma, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga.
 
Impact Player: David Payne