The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) finally registered their first win of the season after defeating the Rajasthan Royals in their last game. However, having already played seven matches and languishing at the bottom of the table, KKR have very little margin for error when they face the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Sunday, April 26, at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium.
KKR have received a major boost, with Matheesha Pathirana joining the squad after recovering from an injury he suffered during the 2026 T20 World Cup. The Sri Lankan seamer is expected to make his KKR debut on Sunday.
Aakash Chopra backed him to replace Tim Seifert in the lineup. The former said that either Cameron Green or Sunil Narine can open the batting with Ajinkya Rahane. Chopra mentioned that he would have Narine, Green, Pathirana, and Rovman Powell as his four overseas players for KKR in Sunday’s high-voltage contest.
“Pathirana should be available. If Pathirana is there, Tim Seifert will have to go out. I would say make Cameron Green open, or put him at No. 3, and make Sunil Narine open. Then your overseas will be Sunil Narine, Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, and Pathirana because the bowling looks quite weak,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Chopra said that the pressure on skipper Ajinkya Rahane could increase exponentially if he fails to score big against the Lucknow side. The 48-year-old opined that Lucknow’s Mohammed Shami could give Rahane a tough time.
“Ajinkya Rahane is running out of time. If runs aren’t scored here, and there might be fewer chances of him scoring runs here because Mohammad Shami can dismiss him, the pressure on you will increase exponentially. So, Ajinkya, please score the runs here,” he observed.
LSG, get your batting order right: Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra urged Lucknow Super Giants to get their batting order right. Instead of having Ayush Badoni opening the batting with Mitchell Marsh, the cricketer-turned-commentator suggested that Matthew Breetzke should be given a go, especially if the think tank is unwilling to give Aiden Markram another chance at the top of the order.
“LSG, get your batting order right. Leave Ayush Badoni and make Breetzke open if you have sworn you won’t open with Markram. Then keep Rishabh Pant at No. 3, Markram at No. 4, Badoni at No. 5, and Nicholas Pooran at No. 6, or vice versa, and then Mukul Choudhary at No. 7,” he said.
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The Rishabh Pant-led side has played with just three overseas players in a few games instead of using the full quota of four. Chopra said that there is no logic behind this ploy.
“Suddenly, it looks a better team. If you don’t do that, you open with Badoni and keep Himmat Singh in the middle, the team becomes weak. There is no logic in playing with three overseas players,” Chopra observed.
