IPL 2026 | Match 38: Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Preview and Predictions

Match 38 of the 2026 Indian Premier League season brings us a repeat of Match 15 but this time it’ll be the Lucknow Super Giants hosting the Kolkata Knight Riders in their den at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on 26th April. 

Indian Premier League 2026 | Match 38: Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders | 19:30 IST, 26 April 

Rishabh Pant’s Lucknow Super Giants have blown hot and cold so far this season. While their bowlers have done a commendable job, their top-heavy batting lineup has flattered to deceive with many key players finding it difficult to find any momentum in the middle. Thus, having won just two out of their seven fixtures so far this season – this LSG side has now lost four on the bounce. 

In order to make the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, LSG first need to sort out their batting combination, and fast. Match 32 against the Rajasthan Royals saw their batters crumble under pressure while chasing a modest total of 160. Unlike last season, no one in their top five has been able to stitch together a run of games with consistent output. While the likes of Ayush Badoni, Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram have performed well in patches, the lack of output and contribution from the left-handed duo of Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran has become alarmingly concerning. 

In the bowling department, Prince Yadav has been the standout bowler – picking up 13 wickets in seven outings – while the likes of Mohsin Khan, Mohammed Shami and Digvesh Rathi have provided solid back-up work as the supporting act. 

In the other camp, the Kolkata Knight Riders have finally broken their duck against the Rajasthan Royals – courtesy of a low-scoring thriller at the Eden Gardens. Bowling first, the Knight Riders restricted RR to just 155 for 9 in their 20 overs, before needing another Rinku Singh masterclass at the end to get over the line. 

With just one win and three points from their first seven games – KKR need to win atleast six out of their remaining seven games to stand any chance of making the playoffs – mathematically. Thus, it’s safe to say that every game from hereon is a must win for the three-time champions. 

In the batting department, following three single-digit scores, Finn Allen paved the way for countryman Tim Seifert, however, the latter has also failed to produce the goods with scores of 19 and 0 in his two outings. Adding salt to injury, both Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi have gone off the boil in recent fixtures, however, one positive out of it is that both Rovman Powell and Rinku Singh have scored runs in previous games. Moreover, the lack of output from marquee signing Cameron Green remains another point of contention. 

Without Harshit Rana, the KKR pace attack has looked pale at times. That said, both Kartik Tyagi and Vaibhav Arora have done well as a pair so far this season. The wily old fox in Sunil Narine has been both amongst the wickets and economical while following a take start to his campaign Varun Chakravarthy returned to the lineup following his finger injury by picking up the MOTM award in their win against RR with figures of 3 for 14. Besides, with Matheesha Pathirana yet to come into the fold, if this unit can build upon this win and deliver as a group, they can still make things difficult for a lot of teams higher up the points table. 

In terms of weather forecast and pitch report, conditions are expected to be hot and humid with no significant forecast for rain. With the temperature swinging ranging from 41-27°C, expect dew to come into play – especially in the second half. 

The pitch at Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow for IPL 2026 has been a balanced wicket – assisting both batters and bowlers equally. Seamers tend to do well with the new ball while the spinners come into play during the middle overs. 

Looking ahead to this fixture, the Kolkata Knight Riders despite their win against RR have a similar batting conundrum to LSG. With both set of batters struggling to find their best touch, it is the bowling and fielding efforts that will decide this game. Whichever side navigates the middle overs the best, will come out on top in this encounter. However, on paper, we’re backing the Lucknow Super Giants to return to winning ways.

Fantasy XI: Mitchell Marsh (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (vc), Ayush Badoni, Rinku Singh, Aiden Markram, Mohammed Shami, Kartik Tyagi, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Digvesh Rathi 

Venue: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow 

Winners Prediction: Lucknow Super Giants