KKR vs LSG Predicted Lineups: IPL 2026 Match 15 Preview, Team News, and Impact Players
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Match 15 Preview
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is in full swing, and Match 15 promises to be an exciting encounter between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Eden Gardens on Thursday, April 9.
KKR’s Struggles and LSG’s Momentum
The Ajinkya Rahane-led KKR side will play their third home match of the tournament, looking for their first win of the season in front of their home crowd. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant’s LSG will enter the contest with momentum after a win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). KKR’s previous game against Punjab Kings (PBKS) was abandoned due to rain at their home ground, and the team started the tournament with back-to-back defeats.
KKR’s Predicted Lineup and Team News
KKR will likely open with Ajinkya Rahane and Finn Allen to ensure an aggressive start. Allen has a strike rate of 229 across three games, hitting 11 fours and four sixes so far. Rahane scored 67 in the season opener but needs more consistency after failing in the next matches. Angkrish Raghuvanshi has scored consecutive half-centuries while handling wicketkeeping duties recently. Cameron Green and Rinku Singh provide firepower in the middle order to counter the LSG bowlers.
- Ajinkya Rahane (c)
- Finn Allen
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk)
- Cameron Green
- Rinku Singh
- Ramandeep Singh
- Anukul Roy
- Sunil Narine
- Vaibhav Arora
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Blessing Muzarabani
12th Player: Kartik Tyagi
LSG’s Predicted Lineup and Team News
LSG are expected to open with Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh to maximize the powerplay. Markram scored 45 in the last game, while Marsh has scored 49 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 122.5. Rishabh Pant, who opened in the first match, will bat at number three. He scored a match-winning unbeaten half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Nicholas Pooran remains a key batter, having scored two half-centuries against KKR last season at a strike rate of 220.
- Aiden Markram
- Mitchell Marsh
- Rishabh Pant (c) (wk)
- Nicholas Pooran
- Abdul Samad
- Ayush Mhatre
- Manimaran Siddharth
- Avesh Khan
- Mohammed Shami
- Digvesh Rathi
- Prince Yadav
12th Player: Ayush Badoni
Impact Players and Game Changers
Blessing Muzarabani was included as the Impact Player for KKR in their rain-curtailed match against Punjab Kings. If the team bats first, Kartik Tyagi or Muzarabani could be included in the Impact Players list. Rovman Powell is another aggressive overseas option if KKR need to strengthen their batting. For LSG, Ayush Badoni remains the primary choice as an Impact Player to strengthen the batting. Anrich Nortje is another reliable option for extra bowling if the top order scores well early in the match.
Conclusion
Match 15 of the IPL 2026 promises to be an exciting encounter between KKR and LSG. Both teams have their strengths and weaknesses, and the game could go either way. Will KKR finally find their first win of the season, or will LSG continue their momentum? Only time will tell.