The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) square off against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in match No. 28 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, April 18.

The Knights are still searching for their first win in IPL 2026. They are the only winless team in this year’s competition; having lost five out of the six games they have played. One of their matches ended without a result due to rain. They are coming into this contest on the back of a five-wicket defeat to the Gujarat Titans.

The Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, will want to return to winning ways after suffering their first defeat of the season in the last game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Riyan Parag and Co. find themselves at No. 3 in the standings, having won four and lost one game so far.

KKR vs RR Match Details

Eden Gardens, Kolkata Pitch Report

The Eden Gardens has been a ground where chasing has been more beneficial in the shortest format. There is even bounce and good carry through to the wicketkeeper. In the two completed games at the iconic venue in IPL 2026, the average first-innings score was around 204. The captain who wins the toss would want to bowl first and restricting teams is very difficult on this ground, with relatively shorter boundaries and a lightning-fast outfield.

KKR vs RR Head to Head T20 Record

KKR vs RR Predicted Playing 11s

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): 

Ajinkya Rahane (C), Tim Seifert (WK), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Kartik Tyagi.

Impact Player: Vaibhav Arora

Rajasthan Royals (RR):

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Riyan Parag (C), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi.
 
Impact Player: Tushar Deshpande

KKR vs RR Probable Best Performances of the Match

Probable Best Batter: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has amassed 200 runs in five innings at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 263.16. In the last game, he registered a golden duck. The 15-year-old would want to get back among the runs and he will enjoy batting at the Eden Gardens, which is expected to provide another batting paradise on Sunday.

Probable Best Bowler: Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer has been in scintillating form. He has been consistently picking up wickets with the new ball, something that is very crucial in T20 cricket these days. If Archer bends his back and hits the deck, he will cause some problems for the opposition batters. His pace will also keep the batters on their toes.

Today’s Match Prediction: Chasing team to win the match

For yet another thrilling contest of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad will be hosting Match No. 27 of the tournament between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday, April 18.

Sunrisers Hyderabad will enter this contest on the back of a superb win against Rajasthan Royals in their previous encounter. They were without the services of Jaydev Unadkat and Harshal Patel in the previous fixture, but Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain made the night theirs, with each debutant picking a four-wicket haul. SRH will be hoping for a similar performance from their unit against CSK.

Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, did start on a disappointing note but made a remarkable comeback in their past few games to collect four important points on the table. They now have a couple of wins after five matches, and they would fancy only an uphill battle from here. MS Dhoni, meanwhile, is still not fully fit, and fans will have to wait a little more before his comeback.

SRH vs CSK: Match Details

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad: Pitch Report

The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad does offer a batting-friendly track, but the last game played here between SRH and RR proved that bowlers can dominate at the venue with the help of accurate lines and lengths. Any score seems chaseable at the venue, which makes it a better feasible option to field first after winning the toss here. 

SRH vs CSK: Head-to-Head Record

SRH vs CSK: Predicted Playing XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (C), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora (WK), Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga

Impact Player: Sakib Hussain

Chennai Super Kings

Sanju Samson (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh

Impact Player: Mukesh Choudhary

SRH vs CSK: Probable Best Performers of the Match

Probable Best Batter: Sanju Samson

Star cricketer Sanju Samson has returned to form and has been on a roll ever since his century against Delhi Capitals, which was also the first hundred of the IPL 2026 season. He then starred with the bat against KKR as well, falling just short of a half-century, but did enough to provide a blazing start for his side. CSK would want Samson to fire right from the onset and set the stage ablaze with his blitzkrieg batting show.

Probable Best Bowler: Harsh Dubey

One of the most underrated bowlers this season has been SRH’s left-arm orthodox spinner Harsh Dubey. Keeping aside the expensive spell against the Royals, Harsh has bowled at an extremely frugal economy rate. With CSK side known to have their struggles against left-arm spin, Ishan Kishan will look to employ the Pune-born as soon as possible, resulting in mounting the pressure of runs, which could eventually lead of important breakthroughs.

Today’s Match Prediction: Chasing team to win the match

A crucial clash is on the horizon as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (DC) gear up to face each other in Match No. 18 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on April 11. 

Chennai Super Kings have endured a nightmare start to their campaign this season as the five-time champions are yet to open their account, suffering defeats in all three of their matches so far. They began with a loss against Rajasthan Royals, followed by another disappointing outing against Punjab Kings. In their most recent clash, they were outplayed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. CSK will be desperate to turn things around and register their first win in front of their home crowd.

Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, have looked like a well-balanced and confident unit in IPL 2026. They started their campaign on a strong note with consecutive wins Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians, showcasing both batting depth and bowling discipline. However, their winning run came to a heartbreaking halt in their previous game, where they suffered a narrow one-run defeat against Gujarat Titans.

CSK vs DC Match Details

MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Pitch Report

A mammoth 419 runs were scored in the previous match played at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium,  between CSK vs PBKS. The hosts had posted a strong total of 209 in their 20 overs, but Punjab Kings chased it down in 18.4 overs. The Chepauk pitch could be be a belter once again. 

CSK vs DC Head to Head T20 Record

CSK vs DC Predicted Playing 11s

Chennai Super Kings (CSK):

Sanju Samson (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed

Impact Player: Sarfaraz Khan

Delhi Capitals (DC):

KL Rahul (WK), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel (C), Vipraj Nigam, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar

Impact Player: Sameer Rizvi

CSK vs DC Probable Best Performers of the Match

Probable Best Batter: Sameer Rizvi

Sameer Rizvi will be coming back to the Chepauk, but this time as a Delhi Capitals player. The right-hander has been in terrific touch in the ongoing IPL 2026, scoring 160 runs in just three innings, including two match-winning knocks.  Delhi Capitals will once again bank on Rizvi to deliver the same kind of impactful knock against CSK, with him previously playing here as CSK player.

Probable Best Bowler: Lungi Ngidi 

Delhi Capitals’ pacer Lungi Ngidi will be the bowler to watch out for in this CSK vs DC clash. The right-hander has picked up five wickets so far for the Delhi-based franchise. Axar Patel has used him as a genuine wicket taker, and the South African has not disappointed his captain. His change of pace and bowling variations could test the hosts at the Chepauk track.

Today’s Match Prediction: Chasing team to win the match