The Kolkata Knight Riders are set to take on the Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League 2026 Sunday’s double-header on April 19, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. While Rajasthan Royals are aiming to climb back to the top of the points table, Kolkata Knight Riders find themselves in a desperate situation, still searching for their first win of the season. KKR are going through a nightmare campaign in IPL 2026, currently sitting at the bottom of the table with zero wins from six matches. Their only point so far has come from a rain-abandoned game against Punjab Kings. Nothing has worked for them this season. In an attempt to turn things around, KKR were hoping to bring in their Sri Lankan pace sensation Matheesha Pathirana, but is he playing today? Even Cameron Green is suffering from cramps.Â
Matheesha Pathirana – Not Playing Today
Despite finally receiving his NOC from Sri Lanka Cricket, Pathirana is unlikely to feature in today’s match as he is yet to join the squad. The 18 crore INR signing is still recovering from a calf strain he picked up during the 2026 T20 World Cup. While he has cleared fitness protocols, the KKR management is not rushing him back and wants him to go through a few practice sessions before taking the field. So, once again, fans will have to wait to see him in action.
Cameron Green – Playing Today (But Only As Batter)
One of the biggest talking points for KKR this season has been their INR 25 crore signing Cameron Green, who has not been able to deliver the all-round impact the team expected. However, he is likely to play today, coming off a solid knock of 79 off 55 balls against Gujarat Titans, even though it came in a losing cause.
That said, Green is still not bowling. He has been dealing with a back injury and cramps, which has limited him to playing purely as a batter so far. Although Cricket Australia has cleared him to resume bowling, KKR have been cautious with his workload, meaning his full all-round value is still missing from the side.
KKR vs RR Predicted Playing XI:Â
KKR: Tim Seifert, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi
RR: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Tushar Deshpande
