The Knight Riders will take on the hosts Lucknow Super Giants today (April 26, Sunday) in match 38 of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, seeking cold-blooded revenge for the heartbreak they suffered earlier this month against the Rishabh Pant-led side, losing the match by 3 wickets at Eden Gardens.

Today, for both sides, the stakes are high. LSG are currently languishing in 9th place with 4 points, while KKR sit at the bottom of the table with just 3 points. As both teams fight to stay alive in the playoff race, the availability of key overseas stars has become the talking point ahead of the battle of survival at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow.

Matheesha Pathirana – Playing Today

Finally, in a massive boost for the Kolkata Knight Riders, their INR 18-crore signing,Matheesha Pathirana, has joined the squad after missing the entire first half of the season and is available for selection in the playing XI for today’s IPL match at Ekana. The Sri Lankan slinger has been sidelined since the T20 World Cup 2026 due to a stubborn calf injury.

Pathirana has officially received his No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Sri Lanka Cricket and has been training with the KKR squad over the last few days. As he is set to make his first appearance in the IPL 2026 season, his inclusion is seen as a vital fix for a KKR bowling unit that has lacked penetration and death-over specialists this season.

Josh Inglis – Not Playing Today

On the Lucknow side, the search for batting stability continues. While LSG spent INR 8.60 crore on Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, fans will have to wait a little longer to see him in the blue jersey.

Inglis was unavailable for the first half of the season due to his wedding with long-term partner Megan Kincart on April 18. He has not joined the squad yet and is expected to join the LSG camp ahead of their match against Mumbai Indians on May 4.