Kolkata Knight Riders enter the IPL 2026 season looking to bounce back to their 2024 form, but it’s a season of big changes. No more Andre Russell for the Knights, which might denote the end of an era. But this is a squad mixed with experience and exciting youth, which sets them up for a season where they could cause big damage if they find their groove.
With their fortress at the Eden Gardens, the team led by Ajinkya Rahane will know that strong home form will be essential to any sort of success this season. Although they start on the road, they have a hat-trick of matches on home turf to see out phase one of the season, and that might be enough to give them a winning start and set up the remainder of the season.
The first assignment for KKR will be a visit to the Wankhede Stadium for a match against old enemies Mumbai Indians. It is a funny match in terms of what it could entail – in the history of the IPL, KKR have played against Mumbai at the Wankhede on 11 occasions, and won on just 2 occasions.
Funnily enough, those two encounters – first in 2012 and then in 2024 – have been in seasons where Kolkata have gone on to win the tournament. Given MI’s horrible record in opening games – they haven’t won their first match since 2012 – this could be a beautiful omen for KKR fans.
Following that, it’s back home to Kolkata and the Eden Gardens for a three-game homestand in the space of a week. First for them will be a rematch of that 2024 final, two familiar opponents, as the super-powerful SRH team visit with a point to prove. Following that will be Punjab Kings, who had a couple of big encounters and whose match will be defined by the return of PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer to the team he captained to the trophy. Lastly in this first group of matches, Lucknow Super Giants visit KKR on 9th April.
KKR’s first 4 matches
29/03 – Mumbai Indians vs KKR, Mumbai, 7:30 PM
2/04 – KKR vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata, 7:30 PM
6/04 – KKR vs Punjab Kings, Kolkata, 7:30 PM
9/04 – KKR vs Lucknow Super Giants, Kolkata, 7:30 PM
