Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 21st match of IPL 2025. The match will take place on Tuesday, April 8, at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Originally, the match was scheduled for April 6. However, due to Ram Navami celebrations, Kolkata Police requested a reschedule. As a result, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) moved the game to April 8.

KKR Ride High After Crushing SRH

KKR enter this game full of confidence. Recently, they crushed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 80 runs at Eden Gardens. Notably, it was SRH’s biggest loss this season. Earlier, KKR had suffered a big defeat against Mumbai Indians. Following that loss, mentor Dwayne Bravo said, “we need to use the smarts of the game, not be reckless.” Nevertheless, KKR bounced back well. They lost both openers early but held their nerve. They posted a strong total of 200/6. Subsequently, their bowlers dismantled SRH for 120 in 16.4 overs. Hence, KKR jumped from the bottom of the table to fifth place.

LSG Aim for Stability

On the other hand, LSG have had mixed results. Even so, they beat Mumbai Indians in their last outing. That win gives them a much-needed boost. So far, Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh have powered their batting lineup. However, Rishabh Pant, their captain, has struggled. He has scored only 19 runs in four games, averaging 4.75. In contrast, Shardul Thakur has performed well with the ball. Since replacing Mohsin Khan, he has taken seven wickets. Additionally, young leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi has shown promise.

Head-to-Head Record

Since 2022, KKR and LSG have played five times. Currently, LSG lead the head-to-head 3-2. However, KKR won both meetings in 2024. In Kolkata, both teams have one win each.

Team News

In their last match, KKR replaced Spencer Johnson with Moeen Ali. Moeen impressed with his spin. Therefore, KKR may retain him, especially with a day-night match ahead. Meanwhile, LSG could tweak their lineup. They might include Shahbaz Ahmed as an additional spinner. He would support Ravi Bishnoi and Digvesh Rathi in the spin attack.

Pitch Conditions

The pitch at Eden Gardens often favors batsmen. The average score in IPL matches here is 169 from 95 games. Teams chasing have won 56 times. However, in day-night games, the average score drops slightly to 165. Even then, chasing teams have won 14 out of 23 matches. Given this, spinners may have a bigger impact. Since most of the match will be played under natural light, dew won’t be a major factor. As a result, scoring may not be easy.

Weather Forecast

Fortunately, the weather looks clear for the match. There is no chance of rain. Temperatures will hover around 26°C. While there may be 23% cloud cover, it won’t be threatening. Humidity will be high, and winds will blow at around 19 km/h.

Probable XI's

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy Lucknow Super Giants (LSG): Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Rathi, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan