Team mottos can backfire spectacularly when results don\u2019t follow. Lucknow Super Giants chose an upbeat slogan\u2014\u201cAb apni baari hai\u201d (\u201cIt\u2019s our turn now\u201d)\u2014and displayed it across stadium poles and posters. But with the franchise reeling from four consecutive defeats and sitting ninth on the points table, that optimism now feels like a tough ask. Opposite them is a Kolkata Knight Riders side in even more desperate form: KKR are still rooted at the bottom, yet they finally managed a breakthrough by beating Rajasthan Royals after five losses, with a washout thrown into the mix. The week-long break should offer both sides a chance to reset, especially for Lucknow, who have had strong crowds at home\u2014more than 42,000 watched their last outing\u2014but have failed to convert that support into wins. In 2025, LSG lost their last four home matches, and this season that trend has continued with three additional defeats in front of their own fans. Justin Langer described the slide as \u201creally frustrating\u201d for both the squad and the supporters.<\/p>\n
On the surface, Lucknow\u2019s batting has been the biggest weakness. Operating without a fourth overseas player, they have tinkered with the batting order repeatedly, though the changes have not delivered the desired impact. Ayush Badoni\u2014who had opened only twice previously in T20 cricket\u2014has become their preferred top-order option. Nicholas Pooran, who last season hunted spin effectively for LSG, currently has an alarming strike rate of 82 across seven innings. Aside from a few brief bright spots, the batting unit has not been able to function as a consistent collective. With their bowling needing to defend scores and chase momentum, KKR have struggled to seize those crucial turning points. They have lost in the final over three times, including a dramatic last-ball finish in their earlier contest against Lucknow. For KKR, even a single victory can act as a foundation to climb away from the tenth place, and there are signs of improvement on the bowling and batting fronts. Varun Chakaravarthy and Rinku Singh\u2014two key Indian contributors\u2014have found form, and Matheesha Pathirana is finally available.<\/p>\n
When:<\/b> LSG vs KKR on April 26, 2026, 7.30 PM IST Where:<\/b> BRSABV Ekana International Stadium, Lucknow What to expect:<\/b> The last match was staged on a red-soil strip, which Langer compared to the WACA. This time, the venue will play on black soil, a surface that can open up run-scoring while also assisting spinners more than the previous track. The earlier game also produced sharp bounce from the new ball, so the change in soil could significantly influence the start of both innings.<\/p>\nTeam Watch<\/b><\/h2>\n
Lucknow Super Giants<\/b><\/h3>\n
Injuries\/Unavailabilities:<\/b> Josh Inglis, who recently tied the knot, may be able to join the squad at some point next week. Mayank Yadav\u2014praised by Aiden Markram as \u201cfit and firing\u201d\u2014finally returned in the last game, but he conceded 56 runs. With Avesh Khan also expensive in that period, it is unclear whether Lucknow will keep him in the XI. LSG skipped training two days before the match, and the night before the game, their session was low-key, with only a selected group of batters attending. Rishabh Pant, who typically spends a significant amount of time studying the pitch, was not present for training.<\/p>\n
Tactics and matchups:<\/b> While Lucknow\u2019s batting has struggled, their bowling has looked comparatively stronger in the Powerplay. They have taken 14 wickets in that phase at an average of 23.6, with an economy rate of 7.85. Their dot-ball percentage in the Powerplay\u201449.6\u2014is the best across all teams, giving them a clear advantage on paper against KKR\u2019s top order. KKR\u2019s openers have produced 144 runs at a strike rate that works out to 20.6, which is the lowest aggregate among all sides in the Powerplay. One duel to watch is Mohammed Shami against Ajinkya Rahane: Rahane has faced nearly ten overs from Shami without getting out, striking at 168 in that matchup.<\/p>\n
Probable XII:<\/b> Ayush Badoni, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Himmat Singh, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Digvesh Rathi, Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav<\/p>\nKolkata Knight Riders<\/b><\/h3>\n
After weeks of waiting, Matheesha Pathirana has finally joined the squad and is now in contention for selection. The day before, he was seen delivering precise yorkers to Rinku Singh and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. How KKR will fit him into the playing XI is still open to debate. The team could look to make a change at the top\u2014either Tim Seifert or Rovman Powell might be replaced\u2014and there is also a possibility of dropping an Indian fast bowler to add another batting option in the middle, with Manish Pandey in the conversation.<\/p>\n
Tactics & matchups:<\/b> A fully fit, in-form Varun Chakaravarthy would be a major boost for KKR, particularly because he can put pressure on both Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran. In T20 cricket overall, Pant averages 10.3 against Chakaravarthy while striking at 103.3. Pant has also been dismissed by Varun six times. Importantly, Varun did not bowl in KKR\u2019s Eden thriller when Mukul Choudhary burst through. Mukul\u2019s pace versus spin has shown a strike-rate gap of 157.14 versus 128.57 so far, and KKR may prefer to keep an extra spinner\u2019s over available if Mukul is used early.<\/p>\n
Probable XII:<\/b> Ajinkya Rahane, Tim Seifert\/Manish Pandey, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Cam Green, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Kartik Tyagi, Matheesha Pathirana\/Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy<\/p>\n
Did you know?<\/b> Ajinkya Rahane has recorded the most ducks by an IPL opener, with 12. Nicholas Pooran\u2019s strike rate has dropped sharply from IPL 2025 to 2026 (196.25 to 82.02). Lucknow have also been the weakest spin-bowling unit this year, taking 7 wickets at an economy rate of 10 and a strike rate that works out to 58.57.<\/p>\n
What they said<\/b> \u201cLook, I think everyone at the moment knows that probably our batting is a little bit short (of) where it needs to be and no more than the players themselves. But I can assure there\u2019s every kind of work, conversations and guys working hard in the net to overcome that. We feel we are one match away from smashing it where we need to be and all the batters are quality players in each one of them\u201d \u2014 Carl Crowe<\/b>, LSG spin-bowling coach<\/p>\n
\u201c(Win vs RR) boosted the confidence of the entire team, and we felt nice finally winning our first game. We had two days off in the last four days, and enjoyed ourselves a lot. Everyone\u2019s confident, hope we can continue winning\u201d \u2014 Anukul Roy<\/b>, KKR all-rounder<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Team mottos can backfire spectacularly when results don\u2019t follow. Lucknow Super Giants chose an upbeat slogan\u2014\u201cAb apni baari hai\u201d (\u201cIt\u2019s our turn now\u201d)\u2014and displayed it…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"LSG vs KKR IPL 2024: Lucknow vs Kolkata Revival Chase","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"LSG vs KKR IPL 2024: Lucknow and Kolkata look to spark a revival as both sides chase momentum after shaky starts and tough league positions.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n