Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in match No. 6 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata,
on Thursday, April 2.
Three-time champions KKR started their campaign with a six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Ajinkya Rahane-led side failed to defend a 221-run target on a belter of a pitch. KKR's bowling department looked unconvincing, especially with Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine failing to make an impact. Some of the decisions taken by skipper Rahane and his deputy Rinku Singh drew flak from fans and experts.
On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad began with a six-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Ishan Kishan, the stand-in captain, batted superbly, and young Aniket Verma also played a magnificent hand. They reached 201/9 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. However, the defending champions chased the target with consummate ease, winning with 26 balls still left in the innings. The SRH bowlers had a lacklustre outing and would want to hit their straps soon.
Here are 3 player battles for KKR vs SRH, Match 6 of IPL 2026:
3. Heinrich Klaasen vs Varun Chakaravarthy
Heinrich Klaasen has retired from international cricket and is only playing franchise leagues. IPL 2026 is going to be a challenge for him as he doesn't have much cricket behind him. In the first game, Klaasen got off to a quick start but slowed down a bit midway through his innings. In the end, he finished with a decent 31 off 22 balls.
On the other hand, Varun Chakaravarthy's form seems to have deserted him since the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup. In KKR's first game against MI, the mystery spinner failed to make an impact. He bowled four overs and gave away 48 runs. With KKR's pace attack being fairly inexperienced, the onus is on Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine to do most of the damage.
2. Finn Allen vs Jaydev Unadkat
Finn Allen is in red-hot form and one of KKR's batting mainstays in IPL 2026. In the first game, he took the Mumbai Indians' bowlers to the cleaners, smashing 37 off just 17 balls. The Kiwi stalwart would look to provide a similar start in the game against SRH and ideally bat a little longer.
Jaydev Unadkat is expected to take the new ball. The left-arm seamer has done well at Eden Gardens in the past. He will hope for some swing inside the power play. If he can get the better of Allen in the initial overs, it will put the other KKR batters under immense pressure.
1. Ishan Kishan vs Sunil Narine
Ishan Kishan seems to have carried his form from the T20 World Cup into the IPL. In the first game, he was at his fluent best. On a slightly tacky surface, Kishan smashed 80 off just 38 balls. He will enjoy batting on the Eden Gardens wicket, where the ball should come onto the bat nicely. The boundaries are not the longest, and the outfield is among the best in the country. If Kishan gets his eye in, he will put the KKR bowlers under a lot of pressure.
Sunil Narine could be KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane's best bet to get rid of Kishan. The talismanic mystery spinner has bamboozled many batters over the years. In the first game, he did struggle but the surface didn't have anything on offer for the spinners. If there is a hint of turn at Eden Gardens, Narine could make the ball talk. If Kishan walks out to bat inside the power play, don't be surprised to see the Caribbean legend come into the attack immediately.
