Rahane is fit before the KKR vs SRH match and will play his 200th IPL match. Finn Allen has been in great form, while SRH are likely to make changes due to Carse’s injury. The pitch is expected to be high-scoring, where the dominance of the batsmen can be seen.
KKR vs SRH Match Today: The sixth match of the IPL 2026 season will be played today on Thursday, April 2 between Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad. This match will start at 7:30 pm at Eden Gardens Stadium, Kolkata. Before this the toss will take place at 7 pm. Ajinkya Rahane limped off the field during the KKR and MI match due to cramps. However, now he is said to be completely fit and there is full hope of him playing in the next match against SRH.
SRH vs KKR: Pitch report and weather updates
This match will be played on the same pitch where the T20 World Cup semi-final was held between New Zealand and South Africa last month. This pitch is usually high-scoring. According to SRH head coach Daniel Vettori, this time there is more grass on the pitch than usual and this could help in “holding” the ball instead of taking turn. The temperature is likely to remain between 25 to 35 degrees Celsius during the match. The weather in Kolkata will be completely clear and there is no possibility of rain.
SRH: Carr’s injury, Paine may get a chance
Will Jacques Kars missed SRH’s first match against RCB due to a hand injury. The good thing is that the injury is not a fracture, but his chances of playing against KKR seem less. In such a situation, Tom Paine may get a chance to retain his place in the team. Apart from this, there could be a toss-up situation regarding the selection between Lasith Malinga and Liam Livingstone in the playing XII.
Aniket Verma’s form: Strong performance continues in IPL
Aniket Verma was among the breakout stars of SRH in IPL 2025, where he had a strike rate of 166.19. Although, his performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (120 runs in 9 innings) was not special, but in the first match of IPL 2026, he showed that his IPL form is still strong by scoring 43 runs on 18 balls. Aniket plays a vital role in SRH’s power-hitting line-up and his absence could be a big hit for the team.
Finn Allen’s blast: KKR opener in great form
Finn Allen performed brilliantly in his IPL debut, scoring 37 runs in 17 balls against MI. He is currently in the best form of his career. He has the most runs in T20 cricket in the year 2026—732 runs in 17 innings, with an average of 48.80 and a strike rate of 193.13. He also has great memories at Eden Gardens, where he scored unbeaten 100 runs in 33 balls against South Africa in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026, helping New Zealand chase the target of 170 runs in 12.5 overs. KKR will expect another similar match-winning innings from him.
Rahane’s 200th IPL match and important records
Ajinkya Rahane is ready to play his 200th IPL match and will become the 11th player to reach this milestone. He will have to be wary of Jaydev Unadkat, who has dismissed him four times in six innings in the IPL.
T20 stats: Allen, Kishan and Klaasen’s figures
Finn Allen has hit the maximum number of 52 sixes in T20 cricket in 2026. Ishan Kishan is at fifth position in this list with 39 sixes. Heinrich Klaasen has an excellent record against Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. He never lost his wicket against Narine in 8 T20 innings and scored 85 runs in 52 balls. Whereas against Varun, despite being out 3 times in 9 innings, he has scored 112 runs in 53 balls, his strike rate is 211.32.
Coach’s statement: Focus on bowling unit and strategy
- SRH coach Daniel Vettori said that giving 10 runs in every over on such a pitch can also be considered effective for the bowlers. The definition of a “good bowling day” has changed compared to before.
- KKR coach Abhishek Nair says that there are many young and less experienced, but very talented bowlers in his team. He said that the coaching staff, which includes Dwayne Bravo and Tim Southee, is working on preparing these players better and increasing their confidence.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing 11)
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper and captain), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Malinga, David Paine.
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing 11)
Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wicketkeeper), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakraborty, Vaibhav Arora, Blessing Muzarabani, Manish Pandey.