Rain is once again expected to play a key role as Kolkata Knight Riders face Lucknow Super Giants in their IPL 2026 fixture on Thursday. KKR’s previous game against Punjab Kings on Monday was washed out due to rain. On Monday, only 3.4 overs were bowled in the first innings before rain arrived.
Will it rain in Kolkata?
It was raining in Kolkata on Thursday morning, but it is expected to come to a halt before the match. Toss is scheduled for 7:00 PM, and according to AccuWeather, there is zero per cent chance of rain. After the toss, rain is not expected to arrive throughout the match. Meanwhile, the temperature is expected to range from 26 to 29 degrees Celsius.
The result on Monday also saw KKR get their first point, and they are now ninth in the standings with two defeats in three matches.
KKR are in poor form this season and also have a depleted bowling department due to injuries to key pacers. Meanwhile, even Varun Chakaravarthy (hand injury) and Sunil Narine (illness) missed the washed-out game. Due to their current situation, KKR have been over-reliant on their batters, and they haven’t been able to win these games.
But KKR pacer Kartik Tyagi feels that injuries won’t affect KKR’s IPL 2026 campaign. “We have known for a while about the injuries [in the team], so even in the camps we have been preparing that way. It became easier coming here. Yes, these injuries are a setback, but these things happen. You have to manage,” he said.
Although he missed the PBKS game, Narine is expected to feature against LSG, and was seen training on the eve of the match. He could replace Rovman Powell in the playing XI. Meanwhile, Chakaravarthy’s return is still doubtful.
For KKR, Vaibhav Arora will be key. He burst onto the scene in IPL 2024 and had an even better 2025 season, where he was the joint-highest wicket-taker for the franchise with 17 wickets. This season, he has been the leader of KKR’s pace battery, but in the two matches he bowled, he only registered three wickets, and went at 12.37 runs an over.
Also, Cameron Green has started bowling in practice, according to ESPNcricinfo, and he is expected to bowl against LSG. He didn’t bowl a single over in the previous matches due to recovery from an injury, in accordance with Cricket Australia’s instructions.
