Eden Gardens under covers. (ANI)
KKR vs RR, IPL Match Preview: After multiple poor outings in the ongoing IPL 2026, it is high time that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) get off the mark with a win as they are set to host the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday (April 19, 2026) at the iconic Eden Gardens. On the other hand, RR aim to regain winning momentum after suffering their maiden loss in the current 2026 season to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). KKR, led by Ajinkya Rahane, is seeking their first two points on the table after losing five of the six matches they have played.
The two teams, facing opposite fortunes, are prepared to meet in an afternoon IPL match at Eden Gardens, where one of the season’s stronger teams faces what is arguably the most struggling side. Rajasthan enjoyed a streak of four straight victories until Sunrisers Hyderabad stopped them, while KKR have moved in the opposite direction, still looking for their initial win after six games.
Kolkata is anticipated to experience hot and humid weather conditions. As per AccuWeather, the afternoon is expected to be sunny with temperatures near 36 degrees Celsius and very low chances of rain. Humidity levels are expected to remain at approximately 63 percent.
Evening weather is anticipated to stay clear and windy, with temperatures around 36 degrees Celsius. The chance of rainfall stays at one percent, whereas humidity might increase to approximately 87 percent. In general, no rain delays are anticipated throughout the match.
The Eden Gardens surface is anticipated to benefit batsmen, providing solid bounce and a speedy outfield. Pacers may generate some initial movement, while spinners might be involved as the game advances. Traditionally, teams that bat first have enjoyed an advantage at this location.
In IPL history, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals have clashed 32 times. KKR leads slightly with 16 victories, whereas RR has 14 wins, and two matches have concluded with no result.
At Eden Gardens, Kolkata has had home advantage, securing 7 wins out of 12 matches against Rajasthan, while RR has achieved 4 wins.
Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: Tim Seifert(w), Ajinkya Rahane(c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Anukul Roy, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Finn Allen, Tejasvi Dahiya, Navdeep Saini, Manish Pandey, Rahul Tripathi, Sarthak Ranjan, Rachin Ravindra, Prashant Solanki, Blessing Muzarabani, Saurabh Dubey, Matheesha Pathirana, Umran Malik, Daksh Kamra
Rajasthan Royals Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Riyan Parag(c), Ravindra Jadeja, Donovan Ferreira, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Ravi Bishnoi, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravi Singh, Shubham Dubey, Brijesh Sharma, Adam Milne, Dasun Shanaka, Kuldeep Sen, Sushant Mishra, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Kwena Maphaka, Vignesh Puthur, Aman Rao Perala
Vishal Pushkar is a Chief Sub-Editor with NewsX and has been associated with the company since March 2026. He has been working as a journalist since 2021. His experience includes working with Zee Media, Amazon and Dainik Jagran. Vishal holds a BA (English Honours) degree from Shyam Lal College, University of Delhi and a Post-Graduate Diploma from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi. Vishal has completed a beginner’s course in the German language as well.
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