The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lock horns against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 6 of the 2026 Indian Premier League at the historic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, April 2.
Both sides suffered defeats in their respective opening games of the new season. SRH lost to defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) while KKR come into the game on the back of a defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium.
KKR and SRH faced each other twice last season after contesting
the IPL final a year before, with both sides winning a game each. The three-time champions beat the Hyderabad-based side at the Eden Gardens last time around by a margin of 80 runs. Chasing 201, SRH were bundled out for just 120 after both Varun Chakravarthy and Vaibhav Arora took three wickets each.
The Eden Gardens has produced some memorable games in the IPL in recent times, with the conditions on offer aiding both batters and bowlers. Fans can expect a really good encounter on Thursday evening, with both KKR and SRHhaving an array of superstars in their respective squads.
Eden Gardens: Pitch Report
During the early years of the IPL, the Eden Gardens pitch was synonymous with spin, with KKR making the most of the likes of Sunil Narine and Piyush Chawla. Things have, however, changed in modern times, with the wicket now being one suited to the batters.
Chasing at the Eden Gardens has recently been the way to go in the IPL. The ground has seen the highest successful run-chase in T20s when the Punjab Kings chased down 262 a couple of seasons ago. One can expect the toss-winning captain to opt to bowl first, with dew also becoming a factor towards the latter stages of the game.
IPL Stats and Records at the Eden Gardens
| Matches Played |
100 |
| Matches Won Batting First |
42 |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 57 |
| Matches With No Result | 01 |
| Matches Tied | 00 |
| Average First Innings Score | 170 |
| Highest Team Total | 262 |
| Highest Total Successfully Chased | 262 |
KKR vs SRH: Strategies and Match-ups
Both KKR and SRH have hard-hitting batters in their ranks, who are capable of not only posting a big score on the board but chasing down anything that is in front of them. The difference, however, lies in their bowling department. While SRH back their fast bowlers to come good, KKR remain loyal to their spinners to take wickets.
The 2024 champions also have a great track record against SRH. The two sides have played against one another 30 times in the history of the IPL, with KKR coming out on top on 20 occasions.
