Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and elected to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 15 of IPL 2026 at Eden Gardens on 9 April. With KKR batting first on a surface traditionally favourable to high scores, both sides have named strategic benches to utilise the "Impact Player" rule. Lucknow has included the explosive Ayush Badoni among their substitutes, while Kolkata has opted for a mix of experienced batters and pace options, including Rahul Tripathi and Vaibhav Arora. You can follow Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants Match Scorecard here.

Kolkata Knight Riders, led by Ajinkya Rahane, have named a bench that offers significant flexibility. With the team batting first, they have included veteran Manish Pandey and the aggressive Rahul Tripathi as potential reinforcements should the top order stumble. On the bowling front, seamer Vaibhav Arora remains a likely candidate to be subbed in during the second innings to exploit any early movement under the lights.

Kolkata Knight Riders Impact Subs

  • Manish Pandey

  • Vaibhav Arora

  • Tejasvi Dahiya

  • Rahul Tripathi

  • Tim Seifert

Lucknow Super Giants have clearly prioritised their batting depth for the run chase. Alongside Badoni, the visitors have named the South African batter Matthew Breetzke and all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmad. Given that LSG is bowling first, they are expected to swap out one of their specialist bowlers for a batter during the second half of the match to bolster their pursuit of the target. Kolkata Weather and Rain Forecast for KKR vs LSG IPL 2026.

Lucknow Super Giants Impact Subs

  • Ayush Badoni

  • Matthew Breetzke

  • Shahbaz Ahmad

  • Mayank Yadav

  • Himmat Singh

The decision to bowl first by Rishabh Pant follows a clear trend at Eden Gardens, where humidity and the potential for dew often make defending a total difficult. KKR enters this fixture under considerable pressure, currently sitting near the bottom of the table with only one point from three matches. Rahane’s side is desperate for a win to revitalise their campaign after a string of inconsistent performances.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 09, 2026 07:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).