HIGHLIGHTS Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2026 Match 28 - Result, Scorecard

We are back. Riyan Parag has his men in a huddle before the Royals scatter through the field and take their positions. Tim Seifert and Ajinkya Rahane are the two KKR openers. Jofra Archer to steam in with the new ball. So Seifer vs Archer first up. Here we go again...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

An easy chase? Well, looking at the score, 156 isn't a daunting target by any stretch. But given how KKR have struggled in the Powerplay, and how sharp RR's pace has been in the first six overs, this sets up for a fascinating chase right from ball one. The Royals will aim for the Knights work hard to earn every run. Back in a bit for KKR's response with the bat. Do stick around.

KKR's Sunil Narine is up for a chat - Narine says that in the T20 format, nowadays, it's a new challenge every day for the bowlers. Feels that the slower you bowled on this pitch, the more purchase you'd get but varying the pace is key. Mentions that bowling spin in the Powerplay was a suggestion but the pacers did decently well even though it was a high-scoring Powerplay and they managed to control things with spin in the middle phase. On Varun Chakravarthy, Narine says that when he's in form, their bowling attack is a lot better and ends by saying that they need to capitalise on the Powerplay while batting.

Spinners weave a web of deception - From 81/1, RR folded to 124/5. The middle order had no answer to Chakaravarthy and Narine's spin wizardry, who fed off a surface gripping and holding just enough. Between overs 7 and 15, they squeezed the life out of the innings, conceding just 55 runs and picking apart the batting one by one. Both, combined in their 8 overs, conceded only 40 runs and shared 5 wickets, whereas Kartik Tyagi continued to impress with a triple-wicket outing as well.

The Royals start on a decent note - The Powerplay split neatly in two. KKR kept the first three overs to just 20, but couldn't find a wicket, and Sooryavanshi made them pay. The next three went for 43, with the youngster cutting loose while Jaiswal steadied at the other end. The opening stand was building into something threatening. Then Narine and Chakravarthy stepped in big time and the game flipped on its head.

The Knights pass the first tourney - Insane comeback from the hosts in the last ten overs to restrict the Royals to a middling score. It was the spin duo of Narine and Chakaravarthy that barged through the middle overs and just didn't let RR breathe easily. And that's what makes them look so dangerous when these two work in perfect sync with the ball. Narine was frugal as ever, but the last couple of games for Varun have been very encouraging as well. For the second time in a row, Rajasthan Royals' middle order failed to pass the test of being exposed a bit early with the bat. 81 from the opening pair, and 74 from the rest of the batting order tells you the story. Suddenly, problems are rising for the men in pink and blue, especially with the bat.

Vaibhav Arora to Jofra Archer, OUT! JOFRA IS RUN OUT! Back of a length, around middle and off, Jofra Archer shuffles across and looks to scoop but misses. Tim Seifert gathers this and throws this towards the bowler as the batters run for a bye. Vaibhav fumbles at first and Jofra turns for the second. Vaibhav Arora picks it up and throws it back to the keeper. Tim Seifert gathers this well and dislodges the stumps at the striker's end with Jofra well short of his crease. This is checked upstairs and the ball appears to be in Tim's gloves as he removes the stumps with the batter far away. A bye and a wicket to close the innings. Rajasthan Royals end with 155 for 9.

Is Archer run out at the striker's end? Looks highly likely and there is an umpire's review to confirm that. Yes, he is nowhere in the frame when the stumps are broken by Seifert. OUT loads on the giant screen.

Vaibhav Arora to Jofra Archer, FOUR! Short-pitched delivery, around middle and leg, Jofra Archer hits this to the left of Kartik Tyagi at fine leg and adds four more to the total. Tyagi was looking to field this but fails to flick it back inside the playing area.

Vaibhav Arora to Brijesh Sharma, On a length, down the leg, Brijesh Sharma flicks this to Kartik Tyagi at fine leg for one. 150 UP FOR RAJASTHAN ROYALS!

Vaibhav Arora to Brijesh Sharma, Short and wide of off, Brijesh Sharma swings all over it but fails to get bat on ball.

Vaibhav Arora to Jofra Archer, Yorker, right in the blockhole, on middle and leg. Jofra Archer tucks this away towards deep square leg and takes a run.

Vaibhav Arora to Jofra Archer, Slower one, into the deck, around middle and leg. Jofra Archer pulls this on the swivel and hits this in the gap between long on and deep mid-wicket for two.

Last over coming up. Vaibhav Arora (3-0-29-0) will bowl it. Can RR go past the 160 mark? Archer would like to face all the balls remaining for that.

Kartik Tyagi to Brijesh Sharma, Full toss, around off, Brijesh Sharma guides this straight to backward point for a dot.

Brijesh Sharma is in at number 10. What an over this has been from Kartik.

Kartik Tyagi to Ravi Bishnoi, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Kartik Tyagi has three in an over. Full and wide of off, Ravi Bishnoi stays leg side to the pitch of it and looks to guide this to the third man region by opening the face of his bat. Ends up edging this back into the hands of Tim Seifert behind the stumps.

Kartik Tyagi to Ravi Bishnoi, Short and wide of off, Ravi has a go at it but gets beaten on the outside.

Another one bites the dust. Ravi Bishnoi walks in next at number 9.

Kartik Tyagi to Shimron Hetmyer, OUT! CAUGHT! Second success for Kartik in this over. A below the knee full toss, on leg. Shimron Hetmyer looks to flick this towards the square leg region but gets a leading edge that hangs over Angkrish Raghuvanshi at deep backward point, who makes no mistake and holds onto it. Hetmyer doesn't want to leave and wants a No Ball call for height but he isn't going to get it.

Kartik Tyagi to Jofra Archer, Jofra hits this length delivery from Kartik a bit too well as he smashes the stumps on the other end. The ball deflects off the stumps and rolls to long on with the batters crossing for a run. A quick check to see if the ball had clipped the hands of Kartik on its way to the stumps and the umpires deem that there wasn't any contact by Kartik.

Kartik Tyagi to Jofra Archer, WIDE! Good length, way too wide outside the tramline on off. Jofra Archer has a swipe at it but misses. Wided.

It continues to spiral down for the Royals. Jofra Archer is in the new batter in. He is no mug with the bat.

Kartik Tyagi to Ravindra Jadeja, OUT! CAUGHT! Jadeja finds the safest pair of hands and has to walk back. Short and around middle and off, Ravindra Jadeja intentionally plays this behind square on leg but ends up finding Cameron Green at deep backward square leg. Green runs to his left and takes a good diving catch to his left.

Who bowls the 19? Kartik Tyagi, it shall be. Been pretty impressive with figures of 3-0-20-0 so far.

Ramandeep Singh to Ravindra Jadeja, Full and wide of off, Ravindra Jadeja guides this to deep third for a single.

Ramandeep Singh to Shimron Hetmyer, DROPPED! The field was set for this ball only but Vaibhav Arora has let Ramandeep Singh down by dropping a sitter. A well-directed bumper, on middle and leg, Shimron Hetmyer goes for a pull but mishits it and top-edges this around backward square leg, where Vaibhav Arora was stationed. Vaibhav tracks back and fails to settle himself under it. Vaibhav ends up dropping it and the batters get another single.

Ramandeep Singh to Ravindra Jadeja, Short and wide of off, Ravindra Jadeja goes for the pull but doesn't hit this well and ends up pulling this from the bottom half of his bat. This was within catching distance of Anukul Roy at deep mid-wicket but he fails to pick it up and fields this on the bounce as the batters pick up a single.

Ramandeep Singh to Ravindra Jadeja, WIDE! Jadeja's movement across the stumps is playing on the mind of Ramandeep as he once again bowls it full and way too wide outside the tramline on off.

Ramandeep Singh to Ravindra Jadeja, WIDE! Full and a bit too wide outside off. Ravindra Jadeja looks to get bat on ball but misses and the umpire calls it a wide.

Ramandeep Singh to Ravindra Jadeja, FOUR! This has been played really well by Jadeja. Short-pitched, wide of off, Ravindra Jadeja was expecting it as he shuffled early across the stumps. Jadeja pulls this in the gap between deep mid-wicket and deep square leg for four runs here.

Ramandeep Singh to Ravindra Jadeja, On a length, wide of off, Ravindra Jadeja steps across, collapses his back knee and sweeps this to the left of deep mid-wicket for a couple.

Ramandeep Singh to Shimron Hetmyer, Good length, around middle and leg, Shimron Hetmyer tucks this through mid-wicket for a single.

3 overs left. This is interesting. Ramandeep Singh is called into the attack. Went for 14 in his first over.

Vaibhav Arora to Shimron Hetmyer, Yorker, around the pads, Shimron Hetmyer milks this through mid-wicket and takes one.

Vaibhav Arora to Shimron Hetmyer, Top effort by Green! Saves a certain boundary there in the deep. Uses his huge wingspan to good effect. Full toss on middle. Hetmyer heaves it from the inside half, hitting it hard to the right of deep square leg. Green runs across, dives full length to his right, stops it with one hand. Saves two for his side.

Vaibhav Arora to Shimron Hetmyer, WIDE! Slower one, bumper, a bit too high on off. Shimron Hetmyer leaves it all alone. Wided.

Vaibhav Arora to Ravindra Jadeja, Back of a length, around middle and off. Ravindra Jadeja gets up on his toes and dabs this in front of covers for a single.

Vaibhav Arora to Ravindra Jadeja, Short and wide of off, Ravindra Jadeja stays inside the crease and looks to slash hard at it but misses out.

Vaibhav Arora to Shimron Hetmyer, Low full toss, around the pads, Shimron Hetmyer flicks this to fine leg and rotates the strike.

Vaibhav Arora to Shimron Hetmyer, Short-pitched, around middle and off, Shimron Hetmyer pulls this in front of square on leg towards deep mid-wicket for a couple.

Sunil Narine to Donovan Ferreira, OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! As easy as you like from Sunil Narine. Narine slows it up and floats it full onto off and middle. Donovan Ferreira leans on a bit and looks to clip it away. The ball does drift away a bit as it is the carrom ball, and holds in the deck and Ferreira ends up closing the bat face early. The leading edge is found and the ball goes straight back to the bowler and Narine takes a simple return catch. Also, Ravindra Jadeja walks out to bat next.

Sunil Narine to Donovan Ferreira, Bowled flatter and outside off, pushed down towards cover-point.

Sunil Narine to Donovan Ferreira, SIX! Finally, Ferreira has had enough. Tossed up on off, this one drifts in and Donovan Ferreira picks the bones out of it as he whacks it wide of long on for a huge six.

Sunil Narine to Donovan Ferreira, This time it goes the other way. Floated up on off, a bit fuller and this one turns back in. Donovan Ferreira looks to play with a straight bat but gets an inside edge onto the pads.

Sunil Narine to Donovan Ferreira, Oh, even better. Flighted on off, this one turns away with sharp bounce, and Donovan Ferreira is left baffled.

Sunil Narine to Donovan Ferreira, Beauty! Fullish length outside off, drifts away late from the right-hander. Donovan Ferreira looks to drive but is well beaten.

Narine to bowl out now. He has been fantastic so far with figures of 3-0-20-1. Varun Chakaravarthy is off the field and KKR have decided to use their Impact Sub option. OUT - Varun Chakaravarthy | IN - Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

Varun Chakaravarthy is substituted by Angkrish Raghuvanshi

Varun Chakaravarthy to Shimron Hetmyer, Tossed up on off, drifting in towards middle stump. Hetmyer blocks it down the leg. End of a fine spell from Varun Chakaravarthy, and his figures read - 4-0-14-3.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Donovan Ferreira, Fullish length on off, drifted in. Donovan Ferreira flicks it past square leg and picks up a single.

Half-centurion from the previous game, Donovan Ferreira walks out next.

A three-wicket haul for Varun Chakaravarthy. That break has really helped him to get back into the rhythm.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Riyan Parag, OUT! BOWLED'EM! A big wrong'un from Varun Chakaravarthy, he lands it fuller and outside the off stump. Riyan Parag takes a step across to the off side and clears the front leg to smoke it over mid-wicket. However, he misses it completely and the ball goes on to rattle the furniture behind. Another meek outing for the RR captain and the Royals slip further to 117/4.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Riyan Parag, FOUR! Not quite where Parag intended that to go. Flatter one on off, Riyan Parag brings out the reverse sweep but gets a top edge that flies down to the vacant deep third fence and very fine as well for a boundary.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Riyan Parag, Half a shout for LBW, turned down. Interestingly, Varun Chakaravarthy seems positive and Ajinkya Rahane does take the review. It is the googly from Varun, bowled on a nagging length and angled into the batter. Riyan Parag misses the swipe across the line and gets hit on the pads. No bat involved and Ball Tracking shows that the ball is missing leg stump by a mile. KKR burn a review as it stays Not Out.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Riyan Parag, Good length around off, pushed through quicker, Parag is late to push at it and chops it just past the off stump.

Kartik Tyagi to Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell is a lucky fielder, as the ball just runs out of energy to let him off the hook. Full toss on middle, heaved away wide of long on. Powell sprints to his left but fumbles the ball, which just stops before reaching the ropes and Powell tidies up. Two taken.

Kartik Tyagi to Shimron Hetmyer, Oh, another well-disguised slower ball. Dug in short and this one cuts across the left-hander. Hetmyer is taken aback as he sets up to pull and gets it off the cue end of the bat to the left of the keeper.

Kartik Tyagi to Riyan Parag, A slower bumper, on off, comes in around shoulder height. Riyan Parag rolls the wrists nicely and stabs the pull through square leg, picking up another single. Nelson on the board for the Royals now.

Kartik Tyagi to Riyan Parag, Fuller in length, around the fifth stump line, Parag gets halfway forward and drives it just to the left of the cover fielder, who makes the stop.

Kartik Tyagi to Shimron Hetmyer, Hammered into the pitch, a touch short and over 145 kph, Hetmyer looks to whip it over short fine, but misses. The ball thuds into the thigh pad and rolls away behind square leg for a leg bye.

Kartik Tyagi to Shimron Hetmyer, Just back of a length, on off, moves away a bit at 144.2 kph. Hetmyer gets behind the line of the ball and plays it down the pitch.

STRATEGIC BREAK. KKR are really squeezing the life out of this middle period for RR. Going from over 10 runs an over to under 7 during those spin overs is a massive shift in momentum. It’s a classic KKR tactic, using the mystery and squeeze of their spinners to force RR into taking bigger risks in the death overs. Varun Chakaravarthy has finally woken up for the Knights and the side would be hoping that this is what will turn their fortune around. Rajasthan Royals need their skipper, Riyan Parag, to bat deep from here on, and Shimron Hetmyer, along with the rest, to follow, with Hetmyer looking to do the bulk of the range-hitting. Back with pace as Kartik Tyagi returns into the attack, replacing Sunil Narine.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Shimron Hetmyer, Hetmyer wants two, but Rinku Singh is just too quick. Dragged length, on middle and leg, Hetmyer stays back and nudges it away in front of square leg for a single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Riyan Parag, Hit away hard but straight to the fielder. Quick and short, outside off, Parag rocks back and smacks it down to deep point for one more.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Shimron Hetmyer, Good length, outside off, Shimron Hetmyer leans onto the back foot and swats it down to long on for just a single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Shimron Hetmyer, Shortish length on off, darted in, Hetmyer presses back to defend.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Riyan Parag, Nagging length around off, this one holds the line, Parag clips it across to deep mid-wicket and turns the strike over.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Shimron Hetmyer, Pushed through flatter outside off, spins in, Hetmyer stays back and jabs it out past point for a single.

Will the Knight Riders try to go for the jugular by giving Varun Chakaravarthy a third over on the trot? Yes, indeed.

Sunil Narine to Riyan Parag, Another short ball, outside off. Riyan Parag plays off the back foot and punches it between long off and deep extra cover for a couple of runs.

Sunil Narine to Shimron Hetmyer, Dropped short, on off, Shimron Hetmyer hangs deep and punches it wide of long off for a single.

Sunil Narine to Riyan Parag, On a length at the stumps, this is tucked off the back foot to long on for a single.

Sunil Narine to Shimron Hetmyer, Fuller and on off, Shimron Hetmyer lets the ball to turn and cuts it to deep point for a single. 100 UP FOR RR!

The KKR spinners are having a feast now. Shimron Hetmyer walks out to bat and Royals have two new batters at the crease right now.

Sunil Narine to Yashasvi Jaiswal, OUT! HIT FLAT AND CAUGHT! Narine fishes out Jaiswal and this is a huge moment in the game. Narine dangles up the carrot and offers a good bit of flight around the off stump, on a fuller length. It is the off break and Yashasvi Jaiswal sees a bit of width, presses in front to crash that over cover, but ends up hitting it too hard and early, off the toe end. It goes flatly to Ajinkya Rahane at extra cover, who takes a good, sharp catch to his right. 81/0 becomes 99/3 for the Rajasthan Royals.

Sunil Narine to Riyan Parag, Much fuller, just outside off. Riyan Parag smothers it to the point region and they cross over.

Sunil Narine is back on, replacing Ramandeep Singh.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Riyan Parag, Short and on off, Parag goes deep in the crease and punches it to long on for a run. A very successful over for KKR. A wicket and just 3 runs from it.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Riyan Parag, Off break, short and on middle. Blocked onto the pitch.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Riyan Parag, Full length ball, turning into the middle stump line. Parag nudges it to short mid-wicket.

A couple of quick wickets for the Knight Riders. This brings in the Royals' skipper, Riyan Parag, to bat.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Dhruv Jurel, OUT! STUMPED! KKR gradually clawing their way back in the middle phase as Varun has two to his name. Good piece of glove work by Seifert. Full and around off. Jurel attempts the reverse sweep, loses his balance and topples over. Seifert is quick to gather and whips the bails off and is confident that Jurel is out of the crease. The umpires send it for a review. The replay confirms that Jurel is out by a fair margin. Rajasthan Royals are 97/2.

Is that stumped? Tim Seifert seems confident and the third umpire is called in. The replays clearly indicate that Jurel's back leg is outside the popping crease. OUT comes up on the big screen.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Flatter ball, full and on middle and leg. Jaiswal sweeps it to deep square leg for a single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Dhruv Jurel, Pushed fuller and on off. Dhruv Jurel presses ahead and eases it into the point region for a quick single.

Halfway mark in the first innings. The Royals have set a solid platform and will look to cash in now. KKR, on the other hand, will try to pull things back in this middle phase.

Ramandeep Singh to Dhruv Jurel, Slower delivery, on a length, on off. Jurel hangs back and tucks it through mid-wicket for a single.

Ramandeep Singh to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Slower dipping full ball, around off, Jaiswal smashes it down to long off for a run.

Ramandeep Singh to Yashasvi Jaiswal, WIDE! Short and way too wide outside off. Jaiswal leaves.

Ramandeep Singh to Yashasvi Jaiswal, SIX! Innovative and mighty effective! Full from Tyagi, on the off pole. Yashasvi Jaiswal shuffles across the stumps, gets low and scoops it aerially behind. Gets a good piece of wood on it and it clears the fence behind the stumps towards fine leg for half a dozen runs. Despite falling over on the pitch, Jaiswal manages to stay in control of the shot.

Ramandeep Singh to Yashasvi Jaiswal, WIDE! Too full and too wide outside off. Jaiswal leaves it alone. Wide called.

Ramandeep Singh to Dhruv Jurel, Fuller one, around off, nipping away slightly. Dhruv Jurel gets on the front foot and laces it down to long off for a single.

Ramandeep Singh to Dhruv Jurel, Top effort from Tyagi! Short and angled into the body at 124 kph. Jurel swivels and controls the pull, working it behind square on the leg side for a couple to get off the mark. Tyagi does well running to his right from deep square leg, sliding near the rope and flicking it back into play. The TV umpire has a look to see whether he had any body part or his left boot is in contact with the cushions, while holding the ball. But after checking a few replays, it is deemed a clean save. Two taken.

Ramandeep Singh to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Short and outside the off stump. Jaiswal waits for the slower one and rolls his wrists as he pulls it to deep square leg for a single.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Dhruv Jurel, A length ball, on the stumps, tucked to the mid-wicket region.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Dhruv Jurel, Tossed up around off, Dhruv defends it on the off side.

The opening stand is broken and will we see a promotion for one of the pinch hitters? Business as usual for RR as Dhruv Jurel walks in next.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! Another breezy knock from Sooryavanshi, but he misses out on his half century by a whisker. And that's 200 T20 wickets for Varun Chakaravarthy as well, according to the on-air commentators. Dishes out a googly at 97.8 kph, full on middle. Sooryavanshi crouches and swings hard across the line, looking to go against the spin. Loses shape completely, gets a thick top edge, and it balloons high towards deep mid-wicket where it is taken by Ramandeep Singh. The ball was swirling in the air and despite tumbling to his left, Singh manages to cling on to it. Rajasthan Royals are 81/1.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Yashasvi Jaiswal, A slight appeal for LBW, but the umpire is unmoved. Googly at 95.5 kph, full and down leg. Jaiswal shapes for the reverse sweep, fails to connect, and takes one on the pads. The ball rolls away to short fine, a leg bye taken. KKR don't review.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Another googly, on a length outside off. 93.7 kph. Jaiswal looks to force it through the off side off the back foot but is beaten on the outside edge.

Varun Chakaravarthy to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, A googly to begin with, on off, Vaibhav heaves it to long on's left for a single.

Kartik Tyagi to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Pitched up, around off, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi drives this to sweeper cover for a run to end this over.

Kartik Tyagi to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Short and wide of off, Yashasvi Jaiswal gets right on top of the bounce and punches this to deep point for a single.

Kartik Tyagi to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Good length on middle and leg, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi tucks this to the left of long on for one. Rovman Powell puts in a good effort gliding to his left to keep it down to one.

Kartik Tyagi to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, FOUR! A teaser for Rinku Singh in the deep and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi benefits from it. Full and wide of off, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stays on his back foot and slices this towards the deep point region. The ball is within catching distance to Rinku Singh as he runs in from the fence and puts in a dive, but fails to either gather it or field and has to pick it up from over the fence.

Kartik Tyagi to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hard length from Tyagi, around middle and off. Yashasvi Jaiswal pats this in front of mid off and they cross over for a single.

Kartik Tyagi to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a length, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to drive this on the up but misses out completely and the ball bounces just in front of Tim Seifert behind the stumps.

The run rate is just above 10s an over now for the Royals. Kartik Tyagi replaces Cameron Green. 1-0-9-0 so far.

Sunil Narine to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Narine cramps Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as he bowls this a tad fuller and around middle and leg. VS punches this back to the bowler.

Sunil Narine to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Length dragged back by Narine, around off. Yashasvi Jaiswal punches this through the covers for one run.

Sunil Narine to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tossed up, on middle and leg, Yashasvi nudges this through square leg for a brace.

Sunil Narine to Yashasvi Jaiswal, FOUR! Hammered away in the gap for four. Flighted, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal prods in front, gets right on top of the bounce and drives this to the left of sweeper cover for a boundary.

Sunil Narine to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tossed up, around leg. Yashasvi Jaiswal presses in front to flick this away but misses and gets hit on the front pad.

Sunil Narine to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Short of a length, around off, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hits this through mid-wicket and rotates the strike.

STRATEGIC BREAK. First 3 overs, 20 runs, no wicket, and then, 43 runs came in the next three overs of the Powerplay. The Royals have made a good leap and have all the momentum with them right now. KKR needs a breakthrough somehow to stop them from motoring away. They haven't been effective in the first six overs this season, and although they started well this afternoon, the end result remains the same. Let's see if they can bring in some control as the field spreads. Sunil Narine to continue after the break.

Cameron Green to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Short and around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to cut this off his back foot but misses out. Finally, the 10-ball over comes to an end from Cameron Green.

Cameron Green to Yashasvi Jaiswal, WIDE! Fourth wide from Green in this over as he bowls this full and wide outside the off stump.

Cameron Green to Yashasvi Jaiswal, FOUR! Innovative from Yashasvi. Full and wide outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal shuffles a long way across looking for a ramp at first but once the ball was bowled a bit close to him, Jaiswal changes his mind and scoops this over the fielder at short third for a boundary.

Cameron Green to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Back of a length, around off, Sooryavanshi cuts this a bit uppish but on the half-volley to the right of Vaibhav Arora at point and rotates the strike.

Cameron Green to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, WIDE! Green comes over the stumps and bowls it wide outside the off stump again. Vaibhav leaves it and the umpire calls it a wide yet again.

Cameron Green to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, WIDE! Another one that goes wide outside the tramline on off. Called wide again.

Cameron Green to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX! Vaibhav Sooryavanshi goes big again. Pitched up, around middle and off, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stays deep inside the crease and gets right underneath it before clubbing this onto the boundary cushion at the long on region for a biggie. The on-field umpire wants to have a look whether it landed on the cushions on the full and it is confirmed that it's a six through the replay.

Cameron Green to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Wide yorker, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal guides this to the short third fielder and takes a quick single. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would have been in real trouble had the ball hit the stumps at the striker's end with the throw coming in from the fielder. A bit lethargic there, Sooryavanshi. Vaibhav was charging across the crease at an angle when the direct hit attempt whistled past. Had the throw been on target, he was gone for all money.

Cameron Green to Yashasvi Jaiswal, WIDE! Full toss landing outside the tramline around off. Yashasvi Jaiswal doesn't offer any stroke at it.

Cameron Green to Yashasvi Jaiswal, SIX! Dispatched from the get-go. Green bowls a short-pitched delivery, around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal picks the length early, settles himself deep inside the crease and pulls this out of the park towards the deep mid-wicket region.

As frugal as ever, Narine. Change of ends for Cameron Green (1-0-5-0). He replaces Vaibhav Arora.

Sunil Narine to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Quicker one, into the sticks, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi backs away a shade and thumps this to covers for a dot. Just one scoring stroke off this over, which was a biggie.

Sunil Narine to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Flicker this time, on middle and leg. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi pushes this straight back to Narine.

Sunil Narine to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Narine drags the length back, around off, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets onto his back foot and cuts this square but straight to point.

Sunil Narine to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Quicker one, around off, Vaibhav once again goes for a big slog over mid-wicket but gets beaten this time.

Sunil Narine to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX! Up and over for a biggie. Floated full, around middle and leg, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi clears his front foot and plants it towards the leg side and slogs this over the fence to the left of deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Sunil Narine to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, A lot fuller, around off, going across the batter. Vaibhav strides onto his front foot and looks to go for a push towards the off side but gets beaten on the outside edge.

How far is Narine from rolling his arm over? Talk about him and he's here. Sunil Narine replaces Cameron Green.

Vaibhav Arora to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Back of a length, around off, punched down towards cover for one.

Vaibhav Arora to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, FOUR! Cleverly done, 14 off the over already. Too short, on leg and angling across. Sooryavanshi has the smarts to sway out of the line and gets low to ramp it down to the vacant deep third fence for another boundary.

Vaibhav Arora to Yashasvi Jaiswal, That's well fielded by Anukul Roy. Fractionally short again, not all that wide, cut away down into the turf and to the right of backward point, where Roy makes a half stop. The batters get a single.

Vaibhav Arora to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Arora keeps the length short but shifts the line towards middle and leg, Sooryavanshi nudges it across to mid-wicket and picks up a single.

Vaibhav Arora to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, FOUR! That's gone through as well. Shortish length, outside off, Sooryavanshi looks to play a controlled cut but does so uppishly and down past the left of the backward point fielder for four more runs.

Vaibhav Arora to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, FOUR! That's flown away to the fence. Short and wide outside off, Sooryavanshi frees his arms and smashes it wide to the left of the deep backward point fielder and picks up a boundary.

3 overs, 20 runs with this opening pair in the middle. KKR would take that. But they will look to break this stand as quickly as possible before any one of these two breaks free. Vaibhav Arora is back on, replacing Kartik Tyagi.

Cameron Green to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Pitched up even fuller and just outside off, Jaiswal plays a punchy drive but straight to cover. Four dots in a row to close out the over.

Cameron Green to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Fuller this time, closer to the off stump, Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to drive on the up but gets an inside edge back onto the pads.

Cameron Green to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Slower one, into the pitch and outside off, Jaiswal looks to cut but ends up jammig it back into the turf.

Cameron Green to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good stop. Full and angled into the pads, flicked away towards square leg for a dot ball.

Cameron Green to Yashasvi Jaiswal, FOUR! Oh, that's nicely played. Shorter now, angled back in from outside off, Jaiswal leans back and lets the ball come on before ramping it down to deep third for a boundary.

Cameron Green to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Back of a length and outside off, bashed into the pitch, Sooryavanshi hangs back and taps it through the short third region for a run.

Cameron Green replaces Vaibhav Arora. Didn't bowl in the previous game.

Kartik Tyagi to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, On a good length, at 146.8 kph and just too straight in line. Sooryavanshi works it off the pads and to deep mid-wicket for a single. Steady start for the Royals, 15/0 after 2.

Kartik Tyagi to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Keeps the line around leg and bowls it on a hard length at 140.1 kph, Sooryavanshi looks to turn it away but ends up getting it off the handle of the blade and back onto the pitch.

Kartik Tyagi to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Tyagi hits the length hard and bowls it on leg, Sooryavanshi tucks it down to mid-wicket.

Kartik Tyagi to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, FOUR! Oh, that's frustrating for the bowler as the slip just moved out before this delivery. Pitched up in the channel, shaping away, Sooryavanshi leans on to stroke it on the up but gets an outside edge that goes through the vacant slip cordon and into the deep third fence.

Kartik Tyagi to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dug in shorter now, on off, Sooryavanshi leaps up with the bounce and keeps it down into the off side.

Kartik Tyagi to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, FOUR! Nicely timed. A full ball on leg stump, shapes in, Sooryavanshi keeps his shape well and just clips it across through mid-wicket for a boundary.

Just 6 runs off the first over from Vaibhav Arora. Will we see spin from the other end with two left-handers batting at the crease? No, we won't as ex-RR player, Kartik Tyagi, marks his run-up to bowl from the other end.

Vaibhav Arora to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tidy first over from Vaibhav Arora, just 6 off it. Fullish length, pushed across middle and leg, Jaiswal stays back to defend it off.

Vaibhav Arora to Yashasvi Jaiswal, On a good length, angled across from around middle stump. Jaiswal waits back and plays it late, dabbing it down to short third.

Vaibhav Arora to Yashasvi Jaiswal, FOUR! Hammered away. Marginally short but way too wide of the off stump, Jaiswal throws his hands at it and smacks it past point for the first boundary of the game.

Vaibhav Arora to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Top delivery! Good-length delivery, on off and middle, this one skips through with good bounce and holds its line as well. Jaiswal is beaten on the inside edge as he looks to drive.

Vaibhav Arora to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Tap and run, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is off the mark as well. Back of a length again, on off, Sooryavanshi dabs it gently into the off side and jogs across for an easy single.

Vaibhav Arora to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Off the mark straightaway. Arora begins with a back-of-a-length delivery, angling it across the batter. Yashasvi Jaiswal hangs back and taps it behind point for a single.

The focus now shifts to the contest between the bat and ball. The umpires are making their way out in the middle, followed by the home side, KKR, whose players are taking their respective field positions. The dynamic duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi strides out to open for the team in Pink. It will be Vaibhav Arora to open the bowling attack for the home side.

Young RR batter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius - Lhuan-dre describes his IPL debut in Hyderabad as an amazing experience, even though the result didn't go in his team’s favor. He adds that the lessons learned from playing in front of a packed crowd. Pretorius notes that they have been focused on managing workloads and training through intense heat while using the downtime to gel and build strong relationships during this break. On their previous loss to SRH, Pretorius insists the team isn't overanalyzing the defeat, choosing instead to move forward without dwelling on the past.

KKR spinner, Varun Chakaravarthy - Varun says that he is feeling confident after the last game and he was on and off in the previous games due to some niggles, which are still prevalent. Adds that the support staff have kept the spirits up and it is now up to them to control the controllabes and they are putting in the hard yards and feels that this is one of the best KKR set-ups he has been a part of. Mentions that they are lacking a bit in the Powerplay, both with bat and ball and will look to correct that.

Rahane focuses on freedom - Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane says that he intended to bat first to encourage his players to compete with freedom despite their difficult position in the standings. Rahane adds that the team is doing well with the ball and has shown improvements in the middle and death overs. Ajinkya says that he has asked his squad to avoid overthinking past losses or future outcomes, creating a positive mindset and a commitment to staying in the moment. Rahane confirms that KKR is fielding an unchanged side for this encounter.

Skipper of Rajasthan Royals - Riyan Parag says that they will bat first because it looks like a dry wicket to him and feels that there will be more turn in the second innings. On falling short last year at this venue, Parag says that the opposition spinners got a lot of turn and will try to counter that. Adds that they have had a bit of rest and informs that Shimron Hetmyer is back and there's another change in the team as well

Impact players for Kolkata Knight Riders - Manish Pandey, Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Tejasvi Singh, Navdeep Saini.

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI) - Ajinkya Rahane (C), Tim Seifert (WK), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Impact players for Rajasthan Royals - Shubham Dubey, Sandeep Sharma, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Yash Punja.

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI) - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Riyan Parag (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi.

TOSS - Both skippers could be seen next to the pitch. KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane prepares to toss the coin as RR skipper Riyan Parag waits to make the call. Tails is the call from Parag and it lands as Tails. Rajasthan Royals have elected to BAT first .

PITCH REPORT - Ian Bishop is pitchside. He starts by saying that it feels a lot warmer than it actually is. Talks about the dimensions and says that the square boundary to his right is just 58 meters, but on the other side, it is significantly bigger at 70 meters, and it is 74 meters down the ground. Katie Martyn joins him and says that the surface has a nice green tinge to it but the grass has been shaved down a bit. It looks like a belter of a pitch.

Where the match could be decided - This afternoon's fixture at Eden Gardens could likely be won or lost in the Powerplay. If KKR’s new-ball bowlers can finally find early breakthroughs against RR's formidable top order, they might just stifle the Royals' momentum. Conversely, if Ravi Bishnoi and Ravindra Jadeja can exploit the middle-over vulnerabilities of a low-on-confidence KKR batting line-up, RR could breeze to another victory. Will the Knights rise to claim their first points of the season, or will RR find their mojo back again? Let's find out. Stay tuned for toss and team news...

Rajasthan’s bounce-back mission - Until very recently, the Rajasthan Royals appeared nearly invincible, stringing together four consecutive victories. However, they were jolted in their last contest against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where they were completely outplayed in a 57-run defeat. That match saw a rare and disastrous top-order collapse, with RR losing five wickets for just nine runs while chasing a massive 217. To regain their momentum, the Royals will look to their prolific openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and the young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, to re-establish the platform that defined their early-season success. They will also focus on tightening their death bowling, as veterans like Sandeep Sharma have proved expensive in recent spells. The way Donovan Ferreira batted in the losing cause will also put the Rajasthan Royals in a selection dilemma, as his ball-striking was second to none. With him coming into that game in place of Shimron Hetmyer, who was rested, it will give the RR coaching staff a good headache. 

The path to two points - To find their first win, KKR must address a million-dollar problem and a misfiring bowling unit. The team's Powerplay bowling average and economy rate are currently the worst in the league, frequently allowing opponents to get off to flying starts. A major boost arrives with the long-awaited availability of Matheesha Pathirana, whose arrival from Sri Lanka could finally provide the death-overs expertise they have lacked. Correcting their tactical instability is also paramount. Rahane also needs to improve his intent at the top, allowing the middle order to stabilize rather than suffering through constant shuffling.

Kolkata’s search for identity and a maiden win - KKR’s 2026 campaign has been defined by a lack of cohesion and role clarity that has seen them fall short in almost every outing. Despite possessing a roster with high-profile names like Cameron Green, Sunil Narine, Finn Allen, and Rinku Singh, the team has failed to find a settled combination. Their journey so far has been a sequence of missed opportunities, including a 32-run loss to CSK and a five-wicket defeat against the Gujarat Titans. Young batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi has shown glimpses of form. Still, the expensive acquisition Cameron Green has struggled significantly with both bat and ball, averaging just 27 with the bat across his first six innings.

A clash of contrasting fortunes - Hello and welcome to the fans of this beautiful game. As the tournament approaches its mid-way point, the points table presents a stark divide between these two former champions. Rajasthan Royals currently sit comfortably in the upper echelon, holding the third spot with four wins from their first five matches. In contrast, the Kolkata Knight Riders are languishing at the very bottom of the standings in 10th place. KKR has endured an uncharacteristically poor start, remaining winless after six games with their only point coming from a washout against the Punjab Kings. For Rajasthan, this is an opportunity to solidify their Top-4 standing, while for Kolkata, it has become a desperate battle for survival and pride on their home turf.

... MATCHDAY ...

A clash of opposites - The Eden Gardens plays host to Match 28 of the 2026 Indian Premier League, where the Kolkata Knight Riders square off against the Rajasthan Royals. The Royals have been the early pace-setters this season, while the Knight Riders find themselves languishing at the bottom of the standings. A season yet to take off - When you hit rock bottom, the only way is up, and that has to be the mantra for the Kolkata Knight Riders. It has been 6 games without a win, with just a solitary point coming via a washout. After the defeat to the Titans, Ajinkya Rahane said he wants to focus on the positives, and perhaps that is the only way to approach the position the three-time champions currently find themselves in. Encouraging signs - On the batting front, Cameron Green finally broke the rut, though not at his fluent best at the start or the finish, but he packed a punch through the middle phase. The question now is whether he can build on that. They will also take heart from the fact that they pushed the game to the final over, especially when GT looked set to wrap it up with an over or two to spare. Varun Chakaravarthy has shown signs of finding his rhythm over the last couple of games, while Kartik Tyagi has emerged as a bright spot in their pace attack. Powerplay concerns - The incisiveness in the Powerplay is still missing. KKR have picked up just 5 wickets in the Powerplay across their 5 innings so far, and have also leaked runs. Overall, they are still searching for that complete performance. Royals look to regroup - Rajasthan made an early statement this season, winning 4 in a row before stumbling against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. They will want to treat that as a minor blip and return to winning ways. That defeat was a rare instance where their top three of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel did not fire. A show of character - There are positives to take for the Royals from that defeat. After being reduced to 9/5, it could have been far worse than a 57-run defeat if not for the resistance shown by Donovan Ferreira and Ravindra Jadeja. That effort also tested their middle and lower order, which could hold them in good stead going forward. A key area to fix - Death bowling has been a mixed bag for the Royals, and they will be keen to tighten that aspect to become a more complete side. They have rotated between Tushar Deshpande and Brijesh Sharma, with Deshpande proving expensive so far, as has Sandeep Sharma. Ravindra Jadeja has been underbowled, having bowled just 7 overs across 5 games. Given KKR's struggles against spin in the middle phase, he could have a pivotal role to play alongside Ravi Bishnoi. Team form (Last 5 completed games, recent first) - KKR - LLLLL | RR - LWWWW. What do the conditions say? This is the first afternoon fixture of the season in Kolkata, and conditions could be a key factor. Interestingly, both afternoon games here last season were won by teams batting first, and even at the World Cup earlier in the year, 2 of the 3 afternoon matches followed the same pattern. The data does favour the side batting first, but with KKR, toss calls have been anything but predictable so far this season. A tough test at home - KKR's struggles at home from the 2025 season, where they won just 2 of their 6 games, have carried into this year, with defeats in both completed matches so far. That leaves them with just 1 win in their last 6 home games. However, they have had the upper hand in recent meetings, winning the last 2 encounters between these sides. One of those went down to a last-ball finish last season here in Kolkata. Let's hope we get something just as spectacular, if not better, this time around.