The return of Matheesha Pathirana was anticipated for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 38 on Sunday, April 26, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
LSG vs KKR: Toss Update
The toss favored the host team, with Rishabh Pant opting to bowl first on a slow pitch at the Ekana Stadium. Pant mentioned that the experienced leaders in the team can help LSG improve in the tournament. KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane also preferred to bat first, making the toss result less significant.
LSG vs KKR: No Change for Pathirana, Who Remains on the Bench
Many were hoping to see Pathirana play in this match, but KKR did not alter their lineup from the last game. LSG made one change, bringing in George Linde for Manimaran Siddharth.
LSG vs KKR: Captain Statements
Rishabh Pant, LSG captain
“We are going to bowl first to put the opposition under pressure and find our batting rhythm. Just one change, Linde is in for Siddharth. We have strong leadership in our team, and we believe we can turn our season around. Staying united is key, and any confidence we gain is important.”
Ajinkya Rahane, KKR captain
“We wanted to bat first. It’s essential to evaluate how we are working as a unit and give our batters freedom. We are sticking with the same team after our previous win, and we’ve had good practice sessions ahead of this match.”
LSG vs KKR: Playing XIs
Lucknow Super Giants
Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (C & WK), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Mukul Choudhary, George Linde, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Mohsin Khan
Impact Substitutes: Himmat Singh, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Abdul Samad, Avesh Khan, M Siddharth
Kolkata Knight Riders
Ajinkya Rahane (C), Tim Seifert, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (WK), Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi
Impact Substitutes: Manish Pandey, Finn Allen, Tejasvi Singh, Navdeep Saini, Varun Chakravarthy