- By Namrata Vijay
- Sun, 26 Apr 2026 07:48 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
LSG vs KKR IPL 2026 Toss Update: LSG and KKR face off in an IPL 2026 match on Sunday. Both sides are ninth and tenth in the table and aim for a win. KKR wants victory and gains a boost with Pathirana joining.
KKR fans were eager to see the Sri Lankan pacer play. Surprisingly, Ajinkya Rahane's side kept an unchanged XI against LSG, so Pathirana remains sidelined.
Why Is Matheesha Pathirana Not Playing vs LSG?
Ajinkya Rahane's side has played seven matches and won just one. After earning their first win in the last match, they chose not to alter their playing XI.
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A main reason for Pathirana's absence was strategic: the team preferred not to disrupt their successful lineup.
Another reason is Pathirana's fitness. He is recovering from injury and has clearance from Sri Lankan cricket to come to India. He is close to full fitness but not yet ready for matches.
LSG vs KKR Toss Update
Rahane and Pant entered the field for the toss. Pant won and decided to field first.
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Hosts made one change: George Linde replaces M Siddharth. Rahane's team fields the same XI.
LSG vs KKR: Playing XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Tim Seifert (wk), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh (vc), Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi
Lucknow Super Giants Playing XI: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Mukul Choudhary, George Linde, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Mohsin Khan
LSG vs KKR: Captains' Thoughts
Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants Captain): "We will bowl first. We aim to put the opposition in to bat first, then respond as a batting group.
(Changes) Just one change. Linde comes in for Siddharth.
(On having so many leaders in the group) See, definitely, we are working towards it. When there are lots of leaders in the family, it's important to find a way to win games. We are pretty close to finding ways, and we have to stick together and turn it around. I am pretty confident I can make it happen.
Ajinkya Rahane (Kolkata Knight Riders Captain): "[On what he would have done, had he won the toss] We were looking to bat first.
We are focused on our team play. The bowling unit has improved. I wanted to bat first to give our batters freedom. We must assess conditions quickly and win crucial moments.
LSG vs KKR: Impact Subs
Lucknow Super Giants: Himmat Singh, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Abdul Samad, Avesh Khan, M Siddharth
Kolkata Knight Riders: Manish Pandey, Finn Allen, Tejasvi Singh, Navdeep Saini, Varun Chakaravarthy