Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants, IPL, 2026 Apr 5 Full score card

OUT! DRAGGED ON! Jaydev Unadkat wraps things up, and SUNRISERS HYDERABAD WIN BY 65 RUNS. This is a wide yorker, just around off. Varun Chakaravarthy stays back and throws his bat at it, but only manages to get an inside edge back onto the stumps. Not the ideal start for KKR at home, and they have a lot of thinking to do ahead of the next games.

STRATEGIC BREAK! The result is pretty much inevitable now. KKR can only delay it and will be hoping to score as many as possible to avoid taking a big hit on the NRR. Their middle order has collapsed dramatically, but credit to Sunrisers Hyderabad as well, who kept mixing their pace, getting the rewards, and already have one foot over the line. Also, Varun Chakaravarthy is the last man in.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Jaydev Unadkat goes pace on, serves this full and on off from around the wicket. Kartik Tyagi stays back and looks to flick it, closing the face of the bat. He only manages a thin bottom edge back to the keeper, where Ishan Kishan takes an easy catch. However, Tyagi takes the review here, but UltraEdge shows a clear spike when the ball is close to the bat. The on-field call of Out remains and SRH are just one wicket away from the win now.

On a length and on off, Vaibhav Arora pushes it towards cover for a run.

Good length and just around off, Vaibhav Arora has a poke at it but misses.

Short of a length and on middle, takes pace off, Kartik Tyagi backs away and swats it to long on for a single.

Slower one, on a length and on off, Kartik Tyagi looks to work it away but his head falls over and he misses.

Into the tail now. Vaibhav Arora comes out to the middle.

OUT! CAUGHT! Two wickets in the over for Eshan Malinga, and if there was any hope left for KKR, this should be it. Malinga bowls the slower one, on a good length, outside off. Ramandeep hangs deep in the crease and slashes at it. The ball flies off a thickish outside to backward point, where Jaydev Unadkat takes a safe catch around his waist by moving to his left and dropping to his knees.

The physio comes in for the concussion check as Kartik Tyagi got hit on the helmet on the previous ball. He seems fine and good to go.

Too quick for Tyagi! Eshan Malinga digs it in short, over middle. Kartik Tyagi ducks but is late in doing so. The ball pings him on the helmet and goes towards deep fine leg. A leg bye taken.

FOUR! Too straight and Tyagi gets it away! Angled in at the hips, on the back of a length. Kartik glances it down to deep fine leg for a boundary.

Number 7 goes down for KKR. Kartik Tyagi walks out to bat now.

OUT! CAUGHT! A well-judged catch by Aniket Verma. Malinga serves the slower one but attacks the stumps this time with a full ball. Narine gets the front leg out of the way and swings for the hills. He is early into the shot and this comes right off the toe end of the bat. Harsh Dubey put down a similar chance in the previous over but Verma is aware of his surroundings. He times the leap to perfection whilst staying side on and takes the catch over his head. He seemed to lose the ball in the lights but managed to hold on.

On a back of a length, flirting with the tramline. Sunil Narine flashes but does not pick the change of pace and the ball goes under the blade.

Wide! This is wider than the previous ball, on a length. Sunil lets it pass.

Wide! Malinga slides it across the left-hander, on a length. Sunil Narine lets it be. Wide not given and Narine takes the review. He succeeds in overturning the on-field call as the ball was just outside the tramline.

Short and on middle. Singh pulls. This goes more off the top edge but wide of deep mid-wicket for one.

DROPPED, SIX!  Harsh Dubey has tipped it over the ropes. How costly will this prove to be? Reddy brings out the slower one and goes full on middle and leg. Narine clears the front leg and swings down to the ground. Hits it down to long on, where Harsh Dubey leaps to take the catch over his head. He had the option of taking a step back but it seems like he was not aware of where the boundary cushions were. The ball clips his fingertips and goes over the fence. 76 needed off 36 balls.

SIX! Oh, hello! Reddy goes short but the height does not trouble Narine at all. Sunil swings away on the leg side with the angle. It comes at waist height and Narine pulls it over deep mid-wicket for a six.

Out goes Rinku Singh, in comes Sunil Narine. 88 needed off 38 balls.

OUT! CAUGHT! KKR's chances in the chase take a massive dent. Wickets off successive overs for Reddy. In the corridor, on a good length. Rinku throws his hands at the ball. The ball goes off a thickish outside edge to short third, where Jaydev Unadkat is stationed on the edge of the ring. He snaffles it to his right.

Not in control but Ramandeep Singh gets away with it! Reddy bangs it in short and gets it high enough to trouble the batter, on off. Ramandeep tries to take it on but slices it off the upper half of the bat towards the vacant mid off region. They cross.

On a length, around leg. Rinku wrists it towards deep mid-wicket and crosses over.

Not all that short to play the cut, outside off. Rinku bunts it from the crease to backward point.

Shivang Kumar responds with a googly, on a nagging length. Rinku backs away and chops it down to cover for another single. 14 runs off the over. KKR need 90 runs in 42 balls.

SIX! Lovely shot! Shivang Kumar tosses it up but this is a bit too full, in line with the off stump. Rinku clears the front leg and opens up the front hip to go inside out over extra cover for a six.

A bit short, turning away from the right-hander. Ramandeep reaches out and cuts it to deep backward point. They cross.

Fuller in length, on off. Rinku pushes it to the right of cover for a single.

Shorter now, on off. Ramandeep turns it in front of deep mid-wicket for one.

FOUR! Innovative and effective! Flighted delivery, full and on off. Ramandeep Singh switches his stance and brings out the reverse. He gets down on a knee and plays it uppishly but wide of backward point for a four. 100 needed off 47 balls.

On a hard length, outside off. Ramandeep Singh shuffles across to get the pull shot away. The ball gets big on him and he miscues it off the splice in front of mid off. The batters cross for a single.

Slightly fuller in the channel, Ramandeep Singh guides it with an open bat face to backward point.

On a back of a length, on middle. Rinku angles it wide of point and turns the strike over.

Dug in short, over middle. Ramandeep Singh rides the bounce and pulls it to deep square leg for a single.

KKR lose half their side now. Ramandeep Singh comes out to bat.

OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Nitish Kumar Reddy keeps it at a similar length and in that channel outside off. Anukul Roy stays back in his crease and opens the face of his bat to run it down to third man. His feet go nowhere, and he ends up edging it back to the keeper, where Ishan Kishan makes no mistake. 120/3 becomes 120/5 for KKR.

Nicely bowled! Nitish Kumar Reddy hits the length hard and just around off. Anukul Roy looks to cut it away but gets beaten due to the extra bounce.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been involved in another run out and pays the price. Anukul Roy walks out to bat now. Also, Nitish Kumar Reddy comes into the attack.

OUT! ANGKRISH RAGHUVANSHI IS RUN OUT! A mix-up, and this time, Raghuvanshi has to go. Shivang continues with his googlies, on the shorter side, on middle and leg. Rinku makes room and carves it to backward point. Rinku takes a couple of steps down the track and Angkrish responds by setting off for the run. After seeing Eshan Malinga move to his left and gather the ball, Singh turns his back on his partner but Raghuvanshi is at a point of no return by then. Malinga picks it up cleanly and fires in a throw at the bowling end. Shivang gets behind the stumps and collects the ball on the half-volley. Angkrish tries to get back, but in vain, as Kumar is quick enough to break the stumps.

FOUR! Cut away! Shivang drops it short, on middle and leg. Rinku Singh backs away once again and cuts it late and wide of backward point for another boundary.

Looped up, full and on middle. Angkrish Raghuvanshi reaches out in front and knocks it to wide long off for a run.

Another googly, on a good length, on middle. Rinku makes room and exposes all three stumps. He cuts it late but can't beat Jaydev Unadkat at short third, who makes the stop to his left. They cross.

FOUR! Wonderful! Floated up, a bit too full, on off. Rinku stays leg side of the ball and goes inside out. Hits it away from a straightish extra cover fielder and beats long off to his right for a four.

Full and it is the googly, on middle. Rinku backs away and cuts it to backward point, where Eshan Malinga makes a diving stop to his right.

Slower again, short and outside off, Rinku Singh punches it through cover-point for one more. KKR are 110/3 at the halfway mark, needing 117 runs in 60 balls.

FOUR! Powered away! Short of a length and on middle, takes pace off again. Rinku Singh waits for it this time, gets on top and hammers it to the deep mid-wicket fence for a boundary.

Back of a length and on off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi pats it down towards cover for another run.

Hard length and outside off, pace off, Rinku Singh cuts it through point for a run.

On a shortish length, on off. Rinku drags the pull towards wide long on, where Heinrich Klaasen moves to his left and cuts it off but he cannot prevent the batters from taking the second run.

FIFTY for Angkrish Raghuvanshi! Back-to-back fifties for the talented right-hander. Payne takes pace off and bowls it into the wicket, on off. Raghuvanshi waits on it and nudges it in front of square on the leg side for a run. Just a raise of the bat from Angkrish as he knows the job is far from being done.

Shorter and on off, tapped towards covers by Singh.

FOUR! Oh, dear! Ishan Kishan will not be a happy captain with these errors in the field. This is tossed up, full and on off, Rinku Singh goes inside out and chips it wide of sweeper cover. Nitish Kumar Reddy overruns it to his left, failing to judge the spin and allows a boundary.

Another misfield! This is short again and on off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi stays back and steers it away towards short third. David Payne gets low to collect it but he too lets it through his legs. He turns around and hauls it in. What should have been just one turns into three runs.

A shout for caught behind, but turned down! Quicker and shorter, on off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi goes for the cut again but this is too close to his body and he misses. Ishan Kishan grabs and thinks there is an edge and appeals for it. Gets nothing from the umpire and takes the review. However, the replay shows a clear gap between the bat and the ball. SRH lose a review.

FOUR! Sloppy in the field! Shorter in length and outside off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi moves back and cuts it away wide of deep point. Harsh Dubey runs to his left but falls over trying to make the stop and lets it through his legs for a boundary.

Floated, short and following the batter into the leg side, Rinku Singh backs away and punches it towards extra cover for a single.

STRATEGIC BREAK! An eventful first 8 overs of KKR's run chase. The Knight Riders are keeping up with the required rate. Finn Allen set the tone, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi has since maintained the tempo. A lot rests on this pair from KKR's perspective, and SRH will be well aware of the importance of breaking this stand. Shivang Kumar impressed in his first over and he is all set to continue.

Bangs this into the pitch, on middle, takes pace off this time. Rinku Singh pulls it through the vacant square leg region for one more.

On a length and around off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi guides it through point for one.

Fine effort in the deep! Good length and on off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi opens the face of the bat and uses the pace to steer it past short third. Shivang Kumar at deep third runs to his left and puts in a full-length dive to push the ball away from the fence. Saves a couple of runs for his team.

FOUR! Pure timing! Jaydev Unadkat hits the length hard and just outside off, pace on again. Angkrish Raghuvanshi uses the width and cuts it away with superb timing, wide of deep point. Nitish Kumar Reddy runs to his left and dives to stop, but the ball pops up, hits his face and rolls to the fence for a boundary.

Uppish but safe! Short of a length and on off, angling away. Rinku Singh uses his feet to loft it away but mistimes the shot. It goes in the air but drops well in front of sweeper cover. They cross.

Play and a miss! Back of a length and around off, gets some extra bounce, Rinku Singh looks to run it down to third man but misses.

FOUR! Up and over! Flighted, full and outside off. Angkrish Raghuvanshi throws his hands at it. Slices it off the outer half of the bat over backward point, and beats the fielder in the deep as well for a boundary.

Flatter and shorter, outside off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi cuts it away but straight to backward point.

Nicely bowled! Googly, on a length, outside off. Angkrish Raghuvanshi reaches out for the drive but the ball spins away to beat him on the outside edge. Ishan Kishan is quick to whip the bails off but Raghuvanshi's back leg never left the crease.

Tossed up, full and on middle. Rinku pushes it to long on for a single.

Halt! One of the two bails at the batting end has a lighting issue. The issue has been sorted and we are all good to go.

A loud shout for LBW but that is going down leg. Googly, shorter and around leg. Rinku rocks back for the pull but the ball skids through to beat him on the inside edge.

Around leg, tossed up, full in length. Rinku is beaten on the flick and wears it on the pads.

Rinku Singh comes out to bat. The left-arm wrist spinner, Shivang Kumar comes into the attack on debut.

OUT! CAMERON GREEN IS RUN OUT! A wicket on the last ball of the Powerplay, and this was coming with these two not communicating properly on a couple of occasions before this as well. Eshan Malinga bowls this full and on off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi drives it firmly down the pitch, where Malinga sticks his left foot out and takes the sting out of the ball. Angkrish calls for the run and Green responds, but the former realises that the bowler will get to the ball first. Malinga picks the ball up and breaks the stumps at the bowler's end with both batters in the middle of the pitch. Raghuvanshi thinks he is the one who is out and starts walking but the replay shows that Green did not cross him when the stumps were broken. So, it is the Aussie who has to make the walk back to the hut.

Gone! Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been asked to wait. The third umpire wants to check if the batters crossed. The replays confirm that they had not crossed and it will be Cameron Green, who will have to make the long walk back.

What happened there? Touch fuller and on middle, angling in, Cameron Green knocks it down the pitch and calls for the run. Angkrish Raghuvanshi has no idea where the ball is and there is a mix-up between the batters. Angkrish ends up stopping the ball with his bat and then collides with Malinga. Green is already at the other end when Raghuvanshi starts running to the other end and has to put in a desperate dive, with Malinga's throw a wide one to the keeper.

Risky run! Slower one, on a length and on off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi pushes it towards cover and sets off for the run. The fielder picks it up on the bounce and has a shy at the bowler's end but misses.

Hits the deck at 138.2 kph, on middle, jags back in sharply. Angkrish Raghuvanshi gets hurried on his flick shot and takes a blow on the thigh pad.

WIDE! Goes for the slower bouncer, on off, but too high for the batter. Angkrish Raghuvanshi tries to upper cut it but fails to do so. Third wide of the over.

Back of a length and on middle, Cameron Green stays back and pats it towards mid on for a run.

Eshan Malinga sees the batter advance and bangs in a bouncer, on middle and leg, Cameron Green ducks under it. Wided.

Fuller and on middle, Angkrish Raghuvanshi knocks it to the left of mid on for a quick single.

WIDE! Good-length delivery but down the leg side, Angkrish Raghuvanshi fails to glance it away. Wided.

Jaydev Unadkat gets Ajinkya Rahane once again in the IPL. Cameron Green comes out to the middle now. Also, Eshan Malinga comes into the attack.

OUT! CAUGHT! Jaydev Unadkat roars in delight. End of a scratchy stay for Ajinkya Rahane. Slower ball on a good length, just outside the off stump. A bit of a nothing shot from Rahane as he plays a half-hearted pull off the back foot. He fails to get on top of the bounce and a top edge is found. It is skied to deep mid-wicket, where Eshan Malinga runs in and slides to take a fine catch.

A short ball, over off. Angkrish Raghuvanshi gets his hands high to pull it in front of square for a single.

FOUR! Clever, very clever! On a nagging length, on top of middle. Angkrish stays deep in the crease and plays it very late, almost off the stumps. Glides it with an open bat face to the right of short third for four more.

FOUR! Helped away! Unadkat bowls the slower bumper, over middle. Angkrish Raghuvanshi waits for the ball to arrive and gets his hands high to help the pull behind square leg. The ball skips across the practice pitches and beats the diving Nitish Kumar Reddy on the fence.

Fuller in length, a cutter running across the right-hander. Angkrish Raghuvanshi guides it to backward point.

Across off, on a back of a length. Rahane shanks it wide of mid on for a single.

Change? Yes, Jaydev Unadkat has been introduced into the attack.

This is slower through the air, on off, Rahane drags the sweep towards wide long on for a run.

On a length, on off. Angkrish taps it with soft hands in front of point for one.

FOUR! Crunched! Harsh looks to fire it in, full and outside off. Angkrish Raghuvanshi crouches and opens up the front hip to drill it wide of extra cover for a boundary.

Full and fired in at the sticks. Rahane hits it back towards the bowler. A half-stop by the bowler and the ball rolls behind for one.

On off, driven wide of cover for a single. The 50 is up for KKR!

Full and on middle. Rahane smears it to deep mid-wicket for a run.

SIX! An ideal finish to the over for KKR! Full and quick, on middle. Angkrish Raghuvanshi reaches out in front and nails the sweep over deep square leg for a biggie. 15 runs off the over.

Quick single! Full and on leg. Rahane shovels it towards short fine leg and Angkrish Raghuvanshi calls him through for a quick single.

Fractionally short, on middle and leg. Rahane goes on the back foot for the flick but ekes out an inside edge onto the pads.

Keeps it full, on off. Raghuvanshi eases it towards wide long off for one.

SIX! Good hit! Sliding into the right-hander, a bit too full. A step towards the ball by Angkrish Raghuvanshi before launching it over long on for a six.

Short and on off, Ajinkya punches it wide of cover, where the fielder cuts it off with a dive. Just a single.

Spin from both ends as Abhishek Sharma replaces David Payne.

A loud shout for LBW but turned down. Coming in with the arm, on a good length, around leg. Angkrish Raghuvanshi goes deep in the crease for the sweep but the ball skids through to go under the bat and catch him on the thigh.

Two wides! Down leg, on a length. Rahane misses out on the sweep. Ishan Kishan moves to his left but cannot make a clean stop. The ball clips his gloves and goes towards short fine leg as the batters cross.

Floated up, on off, Angkirsh knocks it to long off for a run to get off the mark.

Pushed through, full and on off. Angkrish Raghuvanshi pushes it back to the bowler.

SRH can take a sigh of relief with that wicket of Finn Allen. It is not Cameron Green, but Angkrish Raghuvanshi walking out to bat at number 3.

OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! Harsh Dubey gets rid of the dangerman. A quickfire knock from Allen comes to an end. The length stays full but the line is outside off. Allen does not move his feet at all and just reaches out with his hands. The ball keeps straight and the bat turns in Finn's hand. It comes off the inner half but still goes quickly and Dubey reacts well to take the catch to his right at waist height.

FOUR! Put away! Flighted delivery, full and on middle. Allen clears the front leg and swings through the line. He lofts it wide of mid off to his right for a boundary.

Angled into the right-hander, full and on middle. Rahane pushes at it with hard hands. Gets it off the inner half of the bat to mid on for a single.

A massive opening over for KKR in this big chase. We will see some spin already as Harsh Dubey is ready to share the attack now.

FOUR! Gets it through! 25 runs off the first over of the chase and questions already for Ishan Kishan. Slower one, on a good length, on off. Allen gets on top of the bounce and punches it between the two men at cover-point for four more.

SIX! Dispatched with disdain! Allen is rampant. Payne under the pump. David pulls the length back and takes pace off, over middle and leg. Allen hangs on the back foot and pulls it way over square leg for half a dozen.

SIX! Launched down the ground! Payne goes fuller this time, on off. Allen collapses his back knee to get under the ball and tonks it back over the bowler's head for a flat six.

FOUR! Two in two for Allen! Payne drags the length back, on top of off. This sits up to be hit. Finn pulls it off the front foot between mid-wicket and deep square leg for another four.

FOUR! Finn Allen is away! Fuller in length, this moves away. Allen gets the ball in his arc and he crunches the drive between cover and mid off for a boundary.

Rahane and KKR are on the board! Angling away from over the wicket, on a good length. Ajinkya waits on the back foot and steers it to deep backward point for a single.

OUT! CAUGHT! SRH finish with 226. A wicket to close out the innings. Blessing Muzarabani bowls it into the wicket, pace off. No pace to work with for Shivang. He backs away and flaps at it. Ajinkya Rahane moves to his left at extra cover and gobbles it up. 4th wicket for Blessing.

FOUR! A boundary off the first ball from Kumar. Low full toss, outside off. Shivang takes it on the full and opens the bat face to slice it behind point for a four.

Shivang Kumar comes out to face the last couple of balls of the innings.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! Heinrich Klaasen holes out. Pace off ball by Blessing Muzarabani, on a length, outside off. Klaasen is made to reach out. He has a big swing at it but he is early into the shot. He does not get the desired distance and ends up dragging it towards deep mid-wicket, where Ramandeep Singh comes a few yards in off the ropes and completes the catch.

FOUR! That brings up the FIFTY for Heinrich Klaasen! A knock of high impact from a quality batter. Low full toss, outside off. Klaasen walks across the stumps as he knows that square leg is up inside the circle. He shuffles across and angles the sweep past that man inside the circle for a boundary.

FOUR! Hit hard and wide enough! Blessing Muzarabani bangs it into the strip, outside off. Heinrich Klaasen stands tall and hammers it down the ground. The long on fielder is beaten to his left.

In the air...but Heinrich Klaasen gets away with it! Blessing Muzarabani lands it on a length, on off. Klaasen walks across to get closer to the line of the ball. He swings through the line but skies it down the ground. The sub fielder, Manish Pandey runs across to his left from long on, while Anukul Roy converges from long off. Both fielders leave it for the other and the ball lands right between them. Two runs taken.

Wide! Blessing Muzarabani does not offer any pace and looks to keep it away from the batter. Heinrich Klaasen walks across but lets it go eventually.

Can Blessing Muzarabani (3-0-26-2) keep SRH under 220 here? Also, KKR has been penalised for slow over rate and will need to keep an extra fielder inside the circle.

FOUR MORE! A good finish to the over for SRH! Angled in at the sticks from around the wicket, on a length. Dubey swings away on the leg side with the angle. He swipes it to the left of the man at deep mid-wicket for another boundary. 11 runs and 2 wickets off the 19th over.

FOUR! Nicely done! Arora sticks to the off-pace ball. This is fuller in length, around the off stump. Dubey shuffles across the stumps and gets low. He does not have much pace to work with but he manages to clear short fine leg for a four.

Vaibhav Arora serves up the slower bumper, on middle. Heinrich pulls it in front of square on the leg side for a run.

Low full toss, at the toes. Dubey flicks it to deep square leg and brings Heinrich Klaasen back on strike.

Wide! Reload! Vaibhav Arora switches to around the wicket but slides down leg. Harsh attempts the tickle but misses. Arora thought that it brushed something on the way to the keeper but found no support from anyone else.

Who faces the hat-trick ball? It will be Harsh Dubey.

OUT! CLEANED UP! Two in two for Vaibhav Arora and he is on a hat-trick now. He goes full and straight on middle, tailing in a bit late. Salil Arora backs away and looks to whip it away but fails to get any bat on it. The ball sneaks under, deflects off his back pad and rattles into the stumps.

The next batter in is Salil Arora.

OUT! CAUGHT! Varun Chakaravarthy makes no mistake this time. Vaibhav Arora bends his back and digs it in short. It is the slower one and Reddy has to generate power on the shot. He hops and flays at it. Nitish gets the height but not the distance. It goes only as far as deep point, where Varun Chakaravarthy settles under the skier and does the rest.

Who bowls the 19th? Vaibhav Arora has been trusted with it.

DROPPED! Varun Chakaravarthy had as many as three cracks at it, but he has put it down. Another high full toss from Tyagi in search of the yorker, on middle. Nitish Kumar Reddy heaves across the line but fails to get hold of it. It goes flat towards deep mid-wicket, where Varun Chakaravarthy dives forward, but the ball hits his palm and pops out. He tries to take it on the second attempt and then on the third, but does not succeed. The batters cross for a single. Reddy wants to check the height and he takes the review. The Ball Tracker confirms that the ball was below Nitish's waist. So, it is a fair delivery but a chance missed by KKR.

FOUR! It nearly went the distance. The stand moves to 81. Ravi Shastri informs that this is the best 5th wicket stand for SRH in IPL. Tyagi gets the yorker wrong again. High full toss but below the waist. Reddy has a swing across the line while being on the back foot. He manages to pick the gap between deep mid-wicket and long on. It bounces just in front of the boundary cushions.

FOUR! Gets it away! Kartik Tyagi attempts the yorker but misses his mark. Low full toss, sliding down leg. Reddy glances it away to the left of the man at short fine leg for a four.

Off-cutter, on a short of a good length. Klaasen drags the pull to deep mid-wicket for a run.

SIX! Heinrich Klaasen connects this time, and it goes all the way! Yorker gone wrong for Tyagi, on middle. Klaasen gets low and watches the ball onto the bat. He just uses the bowler's pace and angles the bat face to play the reverse scoop over short third for a six.

How did that miss the stumps? Kartik Tyagi lands this in the blockhole, just outside the off stump. Heinrich Klaasen tries to take the ball on the full and play the reverse scoop but the ball sneaks under his bat and misses the off pole by a whisker.

SIX! Straight as an arrow! Vaibhav Arora pitches it up, on middle. He nearly nails the yorker. Nitish Kumar Reddy gets enough leverage to get under the ball and he tonks it back over the bowler's head for a six.

Half a shout for caught behind! Turned down by the umpire. Nitish Kumar Reddy has a look at the square leg umpire but does not get the signal he was looking for. Slower ball, into the deck, over middle. Reddy looks to hook it away but the ball sails over his head. To be fair, it did look like that the ball went over the batter's head.

Arora follows the batter again as he backs away. Low full toss, on the pads. Klaasen turns it through square leg and crosses over.

Vaibhav Arora executes the yorker, right at the base of the middle stump. Heinrich Klaasen digs it out down the strip.

In the air...but it does not carry. Full and at the sticks, there to be put away but Reddy does not quite go through with the shot. He just checks his lofted stroke. Cameron Green runs in off the long on fence and mops it up. Single taken.

Arora spots Klaasen backing away and he follows him with a short ball. Heinrich cannot free his arms and he pulls it to deep mid-wicket. They cross.

Vaibhav Arora (2-0-27-0) comes back into the attack. Also, a change of gloves for Heinrich Klaasen.

Slower one at 115.8 kph, on a back of a length, outside off. With square leg inside the circle, Klaasen shuffles to play the pull. Ends up hitting it in front of square towards deep mid-wicket for just a single. Excellent over at this stage of the game, 7 runs off it.

Can Heinrich Klaasen make use of the extra ball?

Wide! Tries to keep it away from the batter's hitting arc but this goes beyond the tramline. Heinrich Klaasen lets it go.

Lowish full toss, on off and middle. This is pushed to long on for another single.

Keeps it near the tramline on off, full in length. Klaasen took a step across the stumps and initially looked for the scoop, but then adjusted to the line by playing the drive to cover for one.

Very full, around off. Reddy takes it on the full and slices it to deep point. They cross.

Goes full at pace, Klaasen is late on the drive and miscues it off the inner half towards mid-wicket for one.

Starts with the off-pace delivery, bowled into the wicket. Reddy stands tall and drags the pull to long on for a single.

A mix-up but it does not cost anything! Quicker and shorter, on off, Heinrich Klaasen steers it away wide of point. Nitish Kumar Reddy sets off for the run but Klaasen is not interested at first, but seeing the fielder fumble, he sets off. The throw goes at the bowler's end, but with no backing up, it allows the batter to get the second as well.

FOUR! Gets it away! Flatter delivery, full and on middle. Heinrich Klaasen goes down and across before paddling it away nicely to the fine leg fence for another boundary.

Dragged back and on middle, Nitish Kumar Reddy nudges it through mid-wicket for one.

MISFIELD AND FOUR! You do not expect that from Ajinkya Rahane. This is short again and outside off. Nitish Kumar Reddy punches it towards extra cover. Rahane moves to his left and slips, letting the ball through for a boundary.

Short again and around off, Heinrich Klaasen fetches it and swats it to long on for a run.

Shorter in length and on off, Nitish Kumar Reddy moves back and heaves it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

STRATEGIC BREAK! KKR will be feeling a lot better given the position they were in at the last timeout. Three wickets in quick succession have lifted their spirits and helped them regain control, but they will need to sustain that in the final 6 overs. SRH, meanwhile, will be disappointed if they don't reach 220, considering how strongly they were placed before the stumble. They have the right men at the crease for the job, and with the short boundaries, it remains very much within reach. Sunil Narine (3-0-26-0) to bowl out now.

Back of a length and outside off, gives no pace. Nitish Kumar Reddy drags it off the toe-end of the bat down to long on for one more.

A good wide yorker, outside off, Heinrich Klaasen gets his bat down and jams it out towards backward point for one.

Overpitched and around off, Nitish Kumar Reddy drives it to sweeper cover for a run.

Short of a length and outside off, slower as well. Nitish Kumar Reddy waits for it and slaps it wide of sweeper cover. Kartik Tyagi runs to his right and makes a good diving stop. Two taken.

A low full toss, on middle, Heinrich Klaasen mistimes his lofted shot badly. It drops safely just over the 30-yard circle and rolls to long on for a single. 150 UP FOR SRH!

Hard-length delivery, outside off, takes pace off. Heinrich Klaasen slashes at it but misses due to the lack of pace.

Slows it up, full and on off, turns in. Nitish Kumar Reddy gets forward to play at it but gets an inside edge onto his pads.

Dragged back and on middle, Heinrich Klaasen backs away and slaps it away to sweeper cover for one.

Goes a bit short and on middle, turns in again. Heinrich Klaasen flicks it off the back foot wide of deep square leg for a brace.

Tossed up, full and on off, Nitish Kumar Reddy eases it down to long on for a run.

Floated, short again, on middle, turns in, Heinrich Klaasen heaves it off the inner half of the bat to deep square leg for a single.

FOUR! Just over! Shorter in length and around middle. Heinrich Klaasen moves to the leg side early to create some room. He punches it aerially and just over the leaping extra cover fielder for a boundary.

FOUR! Spoils the over a bit! He floats it up, full and around off. Nitish Kumar Reddy leans on his drive and caresses it through extra covers for a much-needed boundary.

Darts in a yorker, on middle, Heinrich Klaasen jams it out to long on for one.

WIDE! Tries to keep it out of the reach of the batter, but bowls it way outside off again. Heinrich Klaasen offers no shot and gets the wide decision in his favour.

Drags his length back and outside off, Heinrich Klaasen cuts it away towards deep point and comes back for the second run.

Fires this one full and on middle, Heinrich Klaasen bunts it out off the toe-end back to the bowler.

Gets it right this time! Flatter and shorter but inside the tramline, Heinrich Klaasen leaves it alone but gets nothing this time.

WIDE! Quicker one, short but just a bit too outside off, Heinrich Klaasen leaves it alone. Called a wide.

Floated, full and angling into the leg side, Heinrich Klaasen backs away and drills it wide of long on for a couple of runs.

Six singles in the over! Another shorter delivery, on leg, Heinrich Klaasen punches it to long on for a run. Good comeback from Varun, after his 25-run first over.

Flighted, full and around off, Nitish Kumar Reddy strides out and drives it to long off for one more.

Much quicker and shorter, on middle, angling in. Heinrich Klaasen stays back and stabs it to the right of the bowler. Varun fails to stop it and allows one.

Drags his length back, on middle, Nitish Kumar Reddy clips it off the back foot to deep mid-wicket for another run.

Pushed through quicker, full and on middle, Heinrich Klaasen drills it down to long on for a run.

Floated, short and on middle, Nitish Kumar Reddy stays back and flicks it to deep square leg for a single.

A bit too short, wide as well, Heinrich slaps it to deep cover, where Vaibhav Arora gets around but fumbles and concedes an extra run.

Fractionally short, outside off. This is cut away to deep point for one more.

Short and on off. Heinrich Klaasen pats it down on the off side for a single.

At the sticks, on a nagging length, Reddy clips it in front of square on the leg side for a single to open his account.

3 wickets in the last 7 legal balls and SRH are losing their way a bit here. Nitish Kumar Reddy joins Heinrich Klaasen out in the middle now.

OUT! CAUGHT! Anukul Roy strikes with his second ball. From 111/1, SRH have slipped to 118/4. Not a wicket-taking ball by any means. A bit of a drag down, wide on off. Verma extends his hands into the lofted hit and does manage to connect well but fails to get it wide enough. Rinku Singh is quick across the turf to his left at long off and gobbles it up around his waist.

Sliding on with the arm, on a good length, around leg. Verma rocks back to clip it away but misses and wears it on the pads.

Back of a length and on middle, takes pace off, Aniket Verma stays back and tucks it towards square leg for one. He looks for the second but Blessing Muzarabani is quick to get to the ball to prevent it.

WIDE! Tries the slower one, full but again down the leg side. Aniket Verma tries to glance it away but misses. It is not given as a wide, but Aniket takes the review here. The replay shows that the batter was in his normal stance, and the ball is going down the leg side. The on-field call is changed to a Wide.

FOUR LEG BYES! Blessing Muzarabani errs in line and lands this on a hard length, but down the leg side. Aniket Verma looks to pull it away but fails to connect. It deflects off the pads and runs to the fine leg fence for a boundary.

The scene has suddenly changed here with this double-wicket over. Aniket Verma is the next man in.

OUT! HIT FLAT AND TAKEN! A decision which will be talked about for a while, but it has gone in favour of the Knight Riders. Muzarabani comes up as a 'blessing' for the home side. Pace taken off by Blessing, on a back of a length, on middle. Abhishek takes a step across and goes hard on the pull. He picks the bones out of it and hits it flat towards deep backward square leg. Varun Chakaravarthy comes in off the ropes and dives forward to take the catch. The third umpire is summoned for a check. After asking for a couple of angles, the third umpire is satisfied with the side-on angle, and it is conclusive enough for him to deem it a clean catch.

Is that a clean catch? Varun Chakaravarthy is already celebrating, but Abhishek Sharma has been asked to wait by the on-field umpires. The third umpire is called upon now. It is touch and go on the replays, and the third umpire is taking his time, seeing different angles. After a long wait, he is convinced that Varun's fingers are underneath the ball and 'OUT' flashes on the big screen.

Angled in at the hips, on the shorter side. Klaasen looks to shovel it away but gets it more off the gloves and it goes down to deep fine leg for a run.

A timely breakthrough for KKR! That brings out Heinrich Klaasen in the middle. He has a strike rate of 186.55 against Kolkata in the IPL.

OUT! CAUGHT! A maiden IPL wicket for Blessing Muzarabani. Across off, on a back of a length. Kishan sees the width on offer and looks to go big on the off side. He has no intention of keeping it on the ground. Thumps it hard but fails to get it wide enough of the fielder in the deep. Rinku Singh moves a bit to his left at deep point and takes the catch with a small leap, with him being aware of where the boundary cushions are. A much-needed breakthrough for KKR.

Around leg, on a back of a length. Abhishek nudges it off the pads to deep mid-wicket and crosses over.

Blessing Muzarabani is back on. He went for 16 runs in his first over.

A couple of dots to end the over. Leaving the batter with the angle, on a good length. Kishan attempts to run it down to deep third with an open bat face but misses.

Oh, that could have gone back onto the stumps! Into the strip, outside off. Kishan goes a bit too hard on the pull and loses his shape. Drags an inside edge onto the pads.

FOUR! All too easy for Ishan Kishan. Not a great option from Tyagi with mid off inside the circle. He looks to go full, around the off stump. Ishan gets under the ball and pumps it over the leaping Ajinkya Rahane at mid off for his third four in a row.

FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries for the SRH skipper. Nothing wrong with the ball as Tyagi nails the wide yorker. Kishan still manages to get it away. He drops his bat down on the ball and slices it wide of the diving backward point fielder for four more.

FOUR! Hammered! Off-cutter, on the shorter side, over off. Kishan picks the change of pace and swivels to dispatch the pull to the left of deep mid-wicket for a four. The 100 is up for SRH.

A flash and a miss! Going across the left-hander, on a back of a length. Ishan flays at it but the ball stays a touch low and he fails to connect.

Strategic Break! Sunrisers Hyderabad absolutely smashed it out in the Powerplay, getting to the highest score in that phase this season. The 'Travishek' duo is officially up and running, with Abhishek still out there, looking really dangerous. The pitch looks a belter, and with this start, SRH will be looking around 220-230 if not more. Only Sunil Narine did not concede a boundary in the first six overs, but he was then taken apart in his next over. KKR are desperate for wickets here and only that can contain the runs and get them back in the contest.

Slower through the air, short and outside off. Abhishek reaches out and cuts it wide of deep point for a couple of runs.

SIX! High and long enough! Not all that short but enough for Abhishek. Although he is cramped for room slightly, he pivots on the back foot and pulls it behind square leg for a six.

Fuller in length, turning away. Another ball that holds in the surface and Abhishek chips it in front of cover.

FOUR! In the gap! This sits in the surface a touch but this is a bit too short and wide too. Abhishek frees his arms and slaps it to the left of the diving deep cover fielder for a boundary.

Flatter and shorter, on middle. Ishan rocks back and turns it through mid-wicket to rotate the strike.

Off-break, on a good length, on off. Abhishek pushes it wide of cover for a single.

Sunil Narine replaces Varun Chakaravarthy.

Drags the length back, across off. Sharma runs it down to deep third for a single. End of a dominant Powerplay for SRH. At the end of 6 overs, they are 84/1.

Mix-up but no harm done! Tyagi gets the yorker in, on middle. Kishan takes it on the full and taps it to extra cover. A bit of hesitation between the two batters for the single but luckily for Ishan, who was running to the danger end, Green fails to pick the ball up in one go.

Finally, something to cheer for the Kolkata crowd. The 82-run opening stand has been broken now. Captain Ishan Kishan walks out to bat at number 3.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! Kartik Tyagi wins the battle but Travis Head has done his job of providing a flying start to his side. Seam up ball at 142 kph, bowled into the wicket and keeping it away from the batter's arc. Head is made to reach out and ends up dragging it off the toe end of the blade. One hand comes off the bat handle and it is skied over mid on. Cameron Green backpedals and takes a safe catch in reverse cup style over his head.

Better from Tyagi! Slightly on a hard length, on middle at 145.8 kph. Head is taken aback and he awkwardly fends it down to cover.

SIX! Clean as a whistle! Change of pace from Tyagi as he brings out the slower one but dishes it out right in the slot, around off. Head picks the slower one and waits for the ball to arrive. He gets low and slams it over wide long off for a flat six.

Wide! Pushes a full ball across the left-hander. Travis throws his hands at the ball but misses. Too wide for the umpire's liking.

FOUR! Tyagi is greeted with a boundary! Kartik steams in from over the wicket and bowls it into the surface. This comes just above the waist. Head backs away early and smashes it through extra cover for a four.

A change in bowling. Kartik Tyagi will close out the Powerplay.

FOUR! Varun Chakaravarthy's struggles continue as he goes for 25 in the over! He bowls this quicker and shorter, outside off again. Abhishek Sharma repeats the dose, moves across and steers it away in the same gap behind point for four more runs.

FOUR! Played beautifully! Varun Chakaravarthy keeps the line outside off, drops it short again. Abhishek Sharma moves across early and places the cut between point and backward point for another boundary.

WIDE! Slows it up, full but way outside off, Abhishek Sharma lets it go. Wided.

FOUR! Excellent shot! Flighted delivery, full and just outside off. Abhishek Sharma gets low on one knee, extends his arms to reach out and crunches it through covers for a boundary now.

SIX! Clean strike! Dragged back from Varun, on middle. Abhishek Sharma pounces on it in a flash. He rocks back a bit and muscles it over the long on fence once again for half a dozen.

Comes around the wicket, bowls this flatter and shorter, on off, Abhishek Sharma stabs it out to short cover.

SIX! Welcome to the game, Varun Chakaravarthy! He tosses it up, full and around middle. Abhishek Sharma wastes no time, clears his front leg and dispatches it with ease over the long on fence for a biggie. 50 UP FOR SRH.

It will be spin from both ends as Varun Chakaravarthy comes on.

Drags his length back again, on middle, Travis Head pats it to the right of the bowler. Just 3 runs off Narine's first over!

DROPPED! A tough chance, but a chance nonetheless! Slower through the air, full and on middle, turns away a bit. Travis Head uses his feet and swings at it. Ends up slicing it off the outer half wide of extra cover. Ajinkya Rahane runs over his left shoulder and puts in a dive, but he cannot even get his hands on it. Two taken.

Flatter and shorter, on leg, Travis Head looks to flick it away but misses as the ball goes off his pads towards short fine.

Goes short again, on leg, Abhishek Sharma nudges it through mid-wicket for a single.

Drops it a bit short and on middle, Abhishek Sharma backs away and punches it to extra cover.

Floated, full and on middle and leg, Abhishek Sharma pushes it back to the bowler.

Much better! Vaibhav Arora lands this short of a length and on middle, follows the batter by angling it into the leg side. Travis Head backs away and tries to play at it but gets cramped up and misses. 37 runs in the last two overs.

21 runs off the over so far.

WIDE! Tries the slower bouncer, on middle, just a bit too high for the batter. Travis Head fails to upper cut it. Called a wide.

FOUR! Put away again! Arora goes for the yorker but misses it by some distance. He ends up bowling a full toss, on middle. Travis Head backs away and carves it over point for four more runs.

SIX MORE! Head moves to 30 off just 12 balls! Vaibhav Arora keeps the length on the fuller side but angles it into the pads. Travis Head brings his wrists into play, picks it up and whips it over the deep backward square leg fence for half a dozen more.

SIX! BOOM! Sunrisers on the charge now. Pitched up and around middle, in the slot as well. Travis Head gets his front leg out of the way and tonks it with a straight bat over the bowler's head for a biggie.

Much fuller and on middle, Travis Head backs away and drives it firmly but finds extra cover this time.

FOUR! Finds the gap! Slightly back of a length and around off. Travis Head opens up his hips to access the off side and slaps it away. Again, he does not get the timing right but gets it through the gap at covers for his fourth boundary.

SIX! BANG! Abhishek Sharma joins the party now. Blessing Muzarabani tries to test the batter with a bouncer, but this one does not trouble the batter at all. Sharma climbs onto it and whacks it over the deep square leg fence for a biggie.

Bowls this into the deck, on middle, Abhishek Sharma stays back and blocks it out.

Hard length and around off, Travis Head guides it away through point for a run.

FOUR! And again! Back of a length and around off, angling away. Travis Head manages to get on top of the bounce and lofts it. He does not hit it from the middle but gets enough to clear extra cover as the ball races away to the fence.

FOUR! Gets it away! Short of a length and outside off, giving width to the batter. Travis Head does not miss out. He extends his arms and smacks it between cover and extra cover for a boundary.

Blessing Muzarabani begins with a full delivery, on the pads, Abhishek Sharma flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

It will be the towering figure of Blessing Muzarabani to share the attack.

FOUR! First one of the match! Vaibhav Arora tries to bang it into the pitch, but this one sits up nicely for the batter, on middle. Travis Head lifts his front leg and pulls it past mid-wicket for a boundary. 6 runs off the first over.

On a length and on off, Abhishek Sharma stays back and pushes it towards cover-point, where the fielder makes a half-stop. They cross.

Sunrisers Hyderabad are finally underway! Short of a length and just outside off, Travis Head cuts it away towards deep point for a single.

BEATEN! Vaibhav Arora hits the length hard and on middle again, gets it to move away from the left-hander. Travis Head stays back and has a poke at it but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Back of a length and around middle, shapes away again with some extra bounce this time. Travis Head tries to cut it away but fails to connect.

Hint of movement! Vaibhav Arora starts with a good-length delivery, lands this on the middle stump line, getting it to shape away. Travis Head watches it through and leaves it alone.

We are all set to get going. It is a near-full house already. Ajinkya Rahane has gathered his men in a huddle near the ropes. In what is a tradition at this storied venue, Ravi Shastri has been given the honour of ringing the bell. The men in purple and gold are followed by the two SRH openers, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Vaibhav Arora will start with the new ball for the home side. A slip in place. Here we go!

Impact Players for Sunrisers Hyderabad - Harshal Patel, Liam Livingstone, Eshan Malinga, Ravichandran Smaran, Sakib Hussain.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI) - Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (C/WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar (In place of Harshal Patel), Jaydev Unadkat, David Payne.

Impact Players for Kolkata Knight Riders - Manish Pandey, Finn Allen, Tejasvi Singh, Saurabh Dubey, Rovman Powell.

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI) - Ajinkya Rahane (C), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani.

Needs to execute better - Ishan Kishan, the skipper of Sunrisers Hyderabad, says that they would have bowled first as well. Adds that batting first here in Eden, they just have to watch the ball and give their best. Mentions that the two points are very important and they have to bring out their best, focusing on doing the basics right. Kishan shares that one thing they can learn from the last game is execution. They have to execute their plans properly but also want to keep things simple here. Says that he still doesn't know when Cummins will be fit, but admits that he makes a huge difference in the team and hopes he can recover soon. Ishan informs that they have made one change, bringing Shivang Kumar in the side. He has been bowling really well in the nets and they wanted to give him a chance, also believing that a wrist spinner can make an impact on this ground.

Green will start bowling soon - The captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Ajinkya Rahane explains the decision to bowl first, noting that the wicket is greener than usual, and adds that there has been rain around over the past couple of days. The KKR captain says there is always room for improvement and highlights the positives with the bat from the last game, adding that the bowling group is a bit inexperienced but will improve with time. Jinx mentions that dew is generally a factor at this venue, but with a breeze blowing across, he isn't entirely sure how much impact it will have tonight. He reckons that the pitch won't change much over the course of the 40 overs. Rahane shares that Cameron Green is progressing well, doing everything required in his return-to-bowling process, and expects him to be back bowling soon. Informs that they are unchanged for this game.

TOSS - It's time for the coin flip in Kolkata. Both the captains are already out in the middle, with the ever-energetic Ravi Shastri presenting the toss. Ajinkya Rahane gives it a flick, and it lands in his favour. Kolkata Knight Riders elect to BOWL first.

Milestone alert - Ajinkya Rahane will be playing his 200th IPL game, becoming only the 11th player in the league's history to achieve this feat.

Time to hear from the KKR camp - Sunil Narine acknowledges the strong backing from fans in Kolkata, noting that the support gives the team that extra push to perform. Believes that IPL is about peaking at the right time, and in T20 cricket, he feels momentum is everything. Narine highlights the importance of staying positive, being brave, and continuing to play good cricket, regardless of the situation. He also points out that players today are exposed to a lot more cricket than before, which makes adapting easier. Sunil stresses that no one takes anything for granted, fully aware of how competitive and demanding the league is. Speaking about his role, Narine underlines his team-first approach, stating that he is always ready to do whatever the team requires.

A quick chat - Heinrich Klaasen is up for a chat with the broadcasters. He says that he came in a little bit cold, which is not always a bad thing. Adds that he trained hard for a couple of days between, had a decent knock in the first match and hopes they can kick off the tournament properly in this game. On being asked about life after international cricket, Klaasen says that sometimes he doesn't know what to do with his spare time. Shares that he watched a lot of cricket, especially his mates in the T20 World Cup and questioned himself whether he made the right call or not. Tells that he also had a chat with his wife about returning for the ODI World Cup, but also admits that's not gonna happen, and life after international cricket has been treating him well. Klaasen reckons that cricket has definitely evolved, with the pace of the game getting a lot quicker. According to him, earlier you consolidated at 7s and 8s, but those days are gone, and now teams do that at 8s and 9s to keep up with the pace of the game.

PITCH REPORT - Murali Kartik notes that this is pitch number 5, the same surface on which the SA vs NZ T20 World Cup semifinal was played, and Finn Allen smashed a 33-ball hundred. The boundary dimensions read 61 and 68 metres square of the wicket, with 74 metres down the ground. Simon Doull adds that conditions are a little sticky at the moment, which might assist swing bowlers. Doull observes a couple of bare patches, but overall, the surface looks like an absolute belter. He expects dew to play a role and feels chasing is the way to go. Doull further informs that the average first-innings score here was 199 last season, and Kartik chimes in, saying that this is a ground where you will get value for your shots.

Battle of nerves - With both teams known for piling on big scores and Eden Gardens often producing high-scoring encounters, another entertaining contest is on the cards. But beyond the batting fireworks, this game could well be decided by which bowling unit finds answers under pressure. Stay tuned for toss and other updates.

SRH's explosive core - Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, are still settling under Ishan Kishan's leadership. While Kishan continues his rich run of form, the absence of Pat Cummins is being felt in both leadership and execution with the ball. The much-talked-about 'Travishek' duo remains a key weapon at the top, capable of taking the game away in the Powerplay, while Klaasen adds serious firepower in the middle, especially against KKR, with 319 runs at a strike rate of 186.55 against them. Yet, like KKR, their bowling lacked consistency in the opener, something they will need to address quickly.

KKR's strengths and gaps - Kolkata Knight Riders will draw confidence from their dominance in this rivalry, having won 20 of the 30 meetings, including 4 of the last 5, and boasting a strong record at Eden Gardens. Their batting looks in good touch, with Rahane and Finn Allen providing explosive starts, while Rinku Singh and Raghuvanshi add solidity through the middle. However, injuries to key pacers have left their bowling slightly thin, putting the spotlight on Narine and Varun to step up, especially at a venue where spinners have historically played a major role.

Searching for first points - Two teams, similar problems, and an early need to respond, that's the backdrop as Kolkata Knight Riders take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Match 6 of IPL 2026 at Eden Gardens. Welcome to Kolkata, where both sides arrive eager to bounce back after failing to defend big totals in their opening games, exposing gaps in their bowling attacks. With momentum already on the line, a second straight defeat could push either side onto the back foot early in the tournament.

... MATCH DAY ...

The start of Round 2 - With every team having played a match each in Season 19 of the Indian Premier League, Match 6 marks the start of the next round of fixtures. We kick things off at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata as the Kolkata Knight Riders welcome the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a fascinating contest. The 2024 champions and runners-up meet each other in an all-important clash, with both teams coming off defeats in their opening fixtures. Historically, this has been a rivalry dominated by Kolkata, but with injury woes and fresh squad dynamics, the scales are remarkably balanced for this encounter. Searching for a spark - KKR enter this game with a glass cannon feel - explosive batting but a fragile bowling attack. The absence of Matheesha Pathirana and injuries to Harshit Rana and Akash Deep have left their pace battery severely depleted. Even the legendary duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy struggled in the opener. For KKR to win at home, these two must rediscover their mystery against a fearless SRH top order. In their opening match against the Mumbai Indians, the likes of skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi stood out with the bat, continuing their form from the 2025 season. Finn Allen played a quickfire cameo up top, and Rinku Singh showed stability at the death. However, the lack of someone like Andre Russell is slightly holding them back at the death, with Rinku having to shoulder all the pressure. In the bowling department, there was not a single bowler who went for less than 10 runs an over against MI, and that is a serious concern against a side like SRH that has some big hitters throughout their line-up. Orange Army needs awakening - SRH is facing its own leadership hurdle as captain Pat Cummins races against time to be match-fit. In his absence, the team leans heavily on its aggressive batting philosophy. Even with that struggle in their opening game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma remains the most dangerous in the league. If they survive the first six overs at Eden, KKR could be in for a long night. Stand-in captain Ishan Kishan has been a revelation in the last 6 months or so and has started the new season with a bang. Even the middle order looks in-form with Heinrich Klaasen and Aniket Verma putting in solid performances in the cutai raiser. The latter, especially, came into his own and managed to take his side over the 200-run mark. However, SRH will expect a lot more from Nitish Kumar Reddy, who hasn't been able to replicate his breakthrough season since the start of the 2025 season. Just like their counterparts, the Sunrisers too have major woes in the bowling department. RCB absolutely thumped them in the opening games, chasing down a target of 202 in just 15.4 overs. There were a couple of bright sparks as veteran medium-pacer David Payne showed his range and picked up a couple of wickets as well, and Jaydev Unadkat bowled reasonably well. However, the likes of Eshan Malinga and Harshal Patel were put to the sword, and the absence of Zeeshan Ansari might have been a trick missed by SRH. Given the historical spin domination at Eden Gardens, we might see Zeeshan back in the line-up, partnering Harsh Dubey. How's the pitch going to play? The Eden Gardens pitch has evolved into a batter's paradise. Recent seasons have seen scores of 200+ becoming the norm. The lightning-fast outfield and short boundaries make it a nightmare for bowlers. Expect the captain winning the toss to bowl first. Chasing has historically been the preferred strategy here, given the potential for dew to make the ball slippery for spinners in the second innings. Team form (Last 5 completed IPL matches) - KKR - LLLWW | SRH - LWWWL. What to expect? While KKR has the home advantage and a superior head-to-head record, their current bowling crisis is a major concern. If SRH’s top order fires, they might overpower the KKR spinners on a flat Eden track. However, if Narine and Chakaravarthy find their rhythm, KKR's batting depth should see them through. Who do you reckon will come out on top?