The Kolkata Knight Riders host the Rajasthan Royals in Match 28 of the 2026 Indian Premier League at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on April 19.
The Knight Riders are still winless in IPL 2026, with their only point coming from the washout against the Punjab Kings. They were beaten by the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad and are returning to their home ground after two games on the road.
KKR will be glad that their star all-rounder Cameron Green found his groove with a 55-ball 79, but they have not been able to push past the line with both bat and ball. While they are a star-studded team, the players have yet to perform to their expected level.
The Royals have been one of the form teams in IPL 2026, but were dented by their first loss to the Sunrisers Hyderabad. They have found balance in their unit, with both batters and bowlers performing to a high level.
In what was a freak performance in Hyderabad, the Royals found themselves at a terrifying 9/5 in the powerplay, chasing a mammoth 217. They will be looking to ensure that the blip against the Sunrisers Hyderabad was just a blip when they feature in Kolkata.
Eden Gardens Pitch Report
The pitch at the Eden Gardens has traditionally been on the slightly slower side, but over the last few seasons has been associated as a batting paradise. The black-soil wicket offers decent bounce and provides grip for the spinners. The conditions offer lateral movement for the pacers with the new ball, and the wicket is conducive to hit-the-deck bowling and cutters. The outfield is often termed as ‘lightning-fast’, with the presence of practice wickets all around the field. The dimensions of the boundaries are comparatively smaller, making scoring runs in boundaries significantly easier.
IPL Stats and Records at the Eden Gardens
| Matches Played |
103 |
| Matches Won Batting First |
43 |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 58 |
| Matches With No Result | 02 |
| Matches Tied | 00 |
| Average First Innings Score | 165 |
| Highest Team Total | 262/2 |
| Highest Total Successfully Chased | 262/2 |
KKR vs RR Strategies and Match-ups
The Knight Riders have yet to record a win in the 2026 IPL and will be looking to stop this negative run of their team. They made wholesale changes to their team against the Titans but were unable to capitalise despite setting up a competitive total. Cameron Green found himself back in the runs with his first half-century for the Knight Riders.
The Royals were beaten by the Sunrisers by 57 runs in their first loss of the season. Their top order has done much of the heavy lifting, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel scoring clinically their victories. They would be looking to put behind the rare top-order failure.
The teams have met 32 times in the IPL, with the Knight Riders having a slender 16-14 lead over the Royals. The last five games between them have seen the pair win two games apiece, with one game having been washed out.Â
