HIGHLIGHTS Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2026 Match 38 - Result, Scorecard

Welcome back for LSG's response with the bat. Rahane has his men in a huddle near the ropes, with Rovman Powell pumping up his teammates with an expressive pep-talk. Now, the Knight Riders scatter throughout the park. LSG are back with the original opening pair. Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh walk out to the crease. Spin to start with, as Anukul Roy will bowl the first over. Markram to face. Here we go!

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Low-scoring thriller or one-sided affair? Well, the first 20 overs were certainly a bumpy ride, as both teams went through the motions and right now, even though LSG have restricted KKR to a fairly low total, the momentum is with the visitors. Also, Lucknow failed to chase down a very similar target against the Royals in their previous home game, and that will be on the back of their minds. Can Rishabh Pant and LSG break their seven-game winless streak at home? Or will KKR pick up back-to-back wins? We shall find out in due time. Stay tuned as the run chase is up next.

Let's now hear from LSG's Mohsin Khan - Khan says that a team victory above all else. Mohsin hopes that the batting unit performs well enough to secure a crucial win. Mohsin adds that he feels strong and rejuvenated after an intensive off-season training program with his trainer. Khan credits his successful execution of tactical plans against opposing batters to a strong collaboration with Rishabh Pant. Mohsin reckons that the team conceded a few late runs, but he maintains a confident outlook, believing the current score is manageable and that they will emerge victorious tonight.

Rinku pulls off another heist - When you take a look at Kolkata's batting scorecard, there are only two players who stand out. The top order had another miserable outing and if you add the controversial run out of Angkrish Raghuvanshi to that, KKR were heading towards a very meek total. Cameron Green did well to show intent and picked up a few boundaries en route to a crucial 34, but it was Rinku Singh who really changed the course of the innings. KKR would have been happy reaching 120-130 runs but Rinku hit an unbeaten 83 off 51 balls to take them over the 150-run mark.

Mohsin dominates with the ball - Once again, at home, LSG have put on a very fine performance with the ball. However, just like against Rajasthan Royals, they haven't quite managed to put the finishing touches and the last two overs, which yielded 43 runs, could well end up costing them the game. Amidst all the ups and downs, Mohsin Khan was the one who stood tall, picking up a five-wicket haul, the first one of this season and it was his best-ever in the IPL as well. Prince Yadav continued to impress as well and was economical but Mohammad Shami and Digvesh Singh leaked too many runs in the last two overs.

Momentum shift right at the death - What a knock from Rinku Singh, and what hitting in the final over. He's single-handedly dragged KKR back into the game and this might just end up as a defendable total. Rishabh Pant and the LSG supporters cannot believe what has just happened out there and all the good work is undone.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, A bit of anti-climax, but nothing to take away from Rinku Singh. Digvesh fires it flat and quick, but down leg. Rinku shuffles a long way across to the off side to play the sweep shot, but seems to have missed it. Pant fails to gather it behind the stumps, but the ball rolls in his vicinity. Wide is not given. And Rinku sends it upstairs to challenge the on-field decision. Rinku had moved well across his stumps, so the question is whether the ball would still have been down leg from his original stance. The on-field umpire reckons that yes, it would have. Wide not upheld on that count. But UltraEdge shows there is a clear spike as the ball passes the glove. So it is a fair delivery. 26 runs from the last over and KKR finish strongly at 155/7.

Another review. Wow, it seems like the wide isn't given and Rinku Singh has reviewed it again. At first, everyone just assumed it was a wide call and were gearing up to go again, but the umpire gave it as a fair delivery. The third umpire is called in to have a look. He finds that the batter has moved a bit but the ball is still significantly down the leg side. Next up, UltraEdge is checked and there is a bit of a murmur as the ball passes the gloves. It remains a fair delivery.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, SIX! Make that four in a row for Rinku. Haven't we seen this before? Digvesh switches to around the wicket, but it makes no difference to Rinku. Full toss around off, and Rinku swings as hard as he can, clearing the cow corner fence for six. Digvesh has been taken to the cleaners. 150 UP FOR KKR!

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, SIX! Hat trick of biggies from Rinku as he unleashes himself in the last over. Fired full and outside off. Rinku shuffles across and crouches low to get under it, gets a nice piece and the ball sails comfortably over the long on fence for six.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, SIX MORE! Floated up into the slot outside off. Rinku goes through the line and creams it over deep extra cover. Mukul Choudhary is stationed a good 10 yards inside the fence for some reason and the ball sails over him for a six.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, SIX! Clears the ropes, just! Dropped on the shorter side, sliding outside off. Rinku Singh lets the wrong'un turn away and swats it just over the long on fielder for a six. Didn't time it well enough, but had sufficient wood on it to sail it over.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, WIDE! The review works in favour of the batting team. This is dropped a bit short and it is the googly that is darted well across the off stump. Rinku Singh lets it go in hopes of a wide call but doesn't get it. He takes the review and the third umpire finds that there's no part of the ball passing inside the guideline and the on-field decision is overturned.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, Quicker and flatter, drifting across the batter. Rinku flat-bats it but mistimes the shot towards mid-wicket but they do not run.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, WIDE! Seeing Rinku walking across the stumps, Digvesh fires a googly wide outside the tramline, trying to keep it away from the arc. Rinku leaves. Pant collects to his left by getting low.

Who will bowl the final over of the innings? It will be Digvesh Singh.

Mohammad Shami to Rinku Singh, Fuller than a good length, angled away outside off at 124.7 kph. Rinku swings hard but does not find the timing, and the ball rolls away to long on. They stroll in for a single. 17 runs from the penultimate over. A very profitable one for KKR.

Mohammad Shami to Sunil Narine, Too full, tailing in at the leg stump, Narine stands deep in his crease and digs it out towards long on for one.

Mohammad Shami to Rinku Singh, He backs a long way outside leg and seeing that, Shami fires it full, on off. Singh reaches out by bending and carves it to deep cover for a single.

Mohammad Shami to Rinku Singh, FOUR MORE! Rinku is cutting loose now. Half-tracker angled in at the body, with the pace taken off. Rinku picks it up from just below chest height and helps it away to the deep fine leg boundary.

Mohammad Shami to Rinku Singh, FOUR! FIFTY FOR RINKU SINGH! His 6th IPL half century. Well-constructed one from him. A half-volley outside off. Rinku Singh waits for the ball to come and hammers it through the covers for a boundary. Back-to-back 50s for Rinku and he has found form just at the right time for his side.

Mohammad Shami to Rinku Singh, SIX! A gift and Rinku accepts it gleefully. A thigh-high full toss from Shami, on the stumps. Rinku exposes the stumps to create room and smashes it cleanly over deep extra cover for a six.

Mohammad Shami to bowl out as well? Yes. This means if we go to the last over, LSG might have to turn to a spinner to close out the innings.

Prince Yadav to Rinku Singh, Whoa! That's a projectile from Prince! A well-directed short ball, it catches Rinku by surprise. He fends it awkwardly to the off side and they cross over for one.

Prince Yadav to Rinku Singh, FOUR! Much needed for KKR! Takes pace off by rolling his fingers and goes short on leg. Rinku Singh has all the time in the world as he pulls it behind square on the leg side, into the long leg region for a boundary.

Prince Yadav to Sunil Narine, Low full toss at the pads, flicked to deep mid-wicket for a run.

Prince Yadav to Sunil Narine, Short ball, with pace taken off, over the top of middle. Sunil Narine sways away from the line and drops his wrists to leave.

Prince Yadav to Rinku Singh, And this time, he crosses strike over. A length ball into the bodyline, Rinku shuffles and glances it towards deep backward square leg for one.

Prince Yadav to Rinku Singh, Slower one, on a length, on leg. Rinku crouches and pulls it to deep backward square leg but denies for a single.

Three overs left in the first innings. Manish Pandey is still warming up near the boundary line, waiting to come on as an Impact Player, if needed. Rishabh Pant has a couple of overs of pace left, and it will be Prince Yadav to continue for now.

Mohammad Shami to Rinku Singh, Full, outside off, driven to deep cover for a run.

Mohammad Shami to Rinku Singh, Risky running! Shami bowls a low full toss, on off. Rinku Singh advances down the pitch to thrash it past covers, but gets an inside edge. The ball rolls past the leg stump to deep fine leg. The batters charge for the second but Rinku is forced to put on the afterburners as the throw from the deep is flat and almost perfect towards the keeper. Pant collects and deflects it on the stumps, but the replay shows that Rinku has just made his ground in the nick of time.

Is that a run-out? Rinku Singh desperately wanted the second run and Rishabh Pant's done well to dislodge the bails here, but Rinku is well in.

Mohammad Shami to Rinku Singh, At 137.7 kph, this is short at shoulder height. Rinku pulls it staight to Markram at mid-wicket.

Mohammad Shami to Rinku Singh, Full on the stumps, Rinku blocks it back at the bowler.

Mohammad Shami to Sunil Narine, Hits the deck hard, on middle. Sunil Narine looks to flick it to the leg side, but closes the bat face early and gets a leading edge over the bowler's head for a single.

Mohammad Shami to Rinku Singh, Back of a length, from around the stump, outside off. Rinku steers it to deep third for a run.

Prince Yadav to Rinku Singh, Good length, on the pads, Rinku Singh works this through mid-wicket and takes a single to close the over.

Prince Yadav to Sunil Narine, Yorker on off, Sunil Narine jams this around silly mid off and takes a single. Prince Yadav fields this in his followthrough and has a go at the non-striker's end but misses the stumps.

Prince Yadav to Sunil Narine, Hard length, around off, Sunil Narine stays leg side and pokes at it away from his body but gets beaten.

Prince Yadav to Rinku Singh, Good length, around the pads, Rinku Singh flicks this to the fine leg region for a single.

Prince Yadav to Rinku Singh, Bumper, down the leg side, Rinku Singh looks to hook this towards fine leg but gets it chopped off the under-edge back to Pant behind the stumps.

Prince Yadav to Rinku Singh, FOUR! A crafty touch by Rinku to add four to the total. On a length, wide of off, angling across the left-hander. Rinku Singh stays deep inside the crease and opens his bat face to guide this through the gap between short third and backward point for four.

Another one comes and goes. Sunil Narine is the new batter in at number 9.

George Linde to Ramandeep Singh, OUT! CAUGHT! Linde has his first now as Ramandeep falls. Flighted delivery, around off, Ramandeep Singh goes down on a knee and looks to take on 'The Bison' at long on. Ramandeep Singh fails to get right underneath this and ends up hitting this straight to Mitchell Marsh at long on and he takes it with ease. Kolkata Knight Riders are 93/7.

George Linde to Ramandeep Singh, Slightly short and on off, Ramandeep Singh cuts this to the right of point for no run.

George Linde to Rinku Singh, Tossed up, on the pads, Rinku Singh flicks this gently through square leg and jogs to the other end.

George Linde to Rinku Singh, Much slower, fuller around off, Rinku Singh backs away to his leg side and cuts this on the bounce to point.

George Linde to Ramandeep Singh, Flighted around off, Ramandeep Singh jumps down the track and drives this through mid off for a single.

George Linde to Ramandeep Singh, Quicker one, on middle and leg, Ramandeep Singh gets right on top of the bounce and dead bats it.

Digvesh Singh to Ramandeep Singh, Pushed through on off, Ramandeep Singh goes deep inside the crease and milks this through the mid-wicket region for one more.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, Quicker one, on the pads, Rinku Singh tucks this to deep backward square leg for a single.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, FOUR! Way too short by Digvesh Singh and outside off, Rinku Singh accepts this width on offer and smashes this up and over the extra cover fielder for four more runs.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, FOUR! Rinku connects and finds the boundary this time. Googly, around off, Rinku Singh reads this well and hits this over the fielder at covers for a boundary.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, A repeat of the previous delivery. Digvesh Singh bowls this on a short of a length, around off, Rinku Singh goes for a late cut but misses out.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, Floated around off, Rinku Singh looks to cut this square on the off side but gets beaten.

STRATEGIC BREAK! Things haven't improved for Kolkata Knight Riders since the last break. In fact, they have lost Cameron Green as well, who showed some positive intent. It all rests on the Rinku-Ramandeep duo to take the innings deep to post something respectable on the board. Narine is yet to bat and everyone knows how dangerous he can be once he gets going. And if need be, Manish Pandey could also come in as their impact sub, but that would come at the expense of leaving out Chakaravarthy. With 7 overs to spare, KKR would still hope to get in the 150-run territory to make a fight out of this. LSG will simply look to break this stand and collapse the spine of this KKR batting order completely. Digvesh Singh (2-0-10-0) to bowl after the break.

Prince Yadav to Ramandeep Singh, An excellent yorker, on off by Yadav and Ramandeep Singh jams this to Himmat Singh at short covers.

Prince Yadav to Ramandeep Singh, Low full toss, on middle and off, Ramandeep Singh helps this to mid-wicket for no run.

Prince Yadav to Ramandeep Singh, Perfect wide yorker, outside off. Ramandeep Singh is a bit late to bring his bat down and it sneaks behind to the keeper, beating his willow, possibly the under edge.

Prince Yadav to Rinku Singh, Good length, around middle and off, Rinku Singh guides this to the deep third region for one run.

Prince Yadav to Rinku Singh, WIDE! Another short one, that's a bit too high, flies over the head height. Rinku Singh lets it be. Wide again.

Prince Yadav to Rinku Singh, WIDE! Bumper, a bit too high for the umpire's liking. Rinku tries his best to play the upper-cut but gets beaten. Wided.

Prince Yadav to Rinku Singh, Short and around off, Rinku Singh looks to help this over the short third fielder but misses out.

Prince Yadav to Ramandeep Singh, On a length, around off, Ramandeep Singh dabs this to George Linde at point and looks for a run but is sent back by Rinku. Linde misfields and the batters eventually take the single.

Prince Yadav (1-0-6-0) is brought back on.

Aiden Markram to Rinku Singh, Nicely bowled by Markram, another tidy over for him and LSG. Markram slows it up and drifts it onto middle, Rinku Singh stays watchful and smothers it away.

Aiden Markram to Rinku Singh, Good length, in and around off, punched off the back foot by Rinku but straight to the point fielder.

Aiden Markram to Ramandeep Singh, Slightly shorter and on leg, Ramandeep hops inside the line and nudges it down to short fine leg for a quick single.

Aiden Markram to Ramandeep Singh, Good, positive running. Flatter delivery on middle, Ramandeep Singh stays compact and hits it into the vast open spaces at mid-wicket and picks up a couple of runs.

Aiden Markram to Rinku Singh, Oh, a misfield. Shortish length, wide outside off, Singh reaches out and cuts it to the left of backward point. The fielder moves across and only makes a half-stop, allowing the batter to pick up a run.

Aiden Markram to Rinku Singh, Stump-to-stump line, on a length, Rinku Singh presses back and blocks it.

A 5-for for Mohsin. He ends his spell with fantastic numbers of 4-1-23-5. Dream figures for any bowler, especially in the shortest format. Ramandeep Singh is in at number 8. Live visuals also show that Mohsin has gone off the field. LSG have decided to use their Impact Sub option. Himmat Singh replaces Mohsin.

Mohsin Khan is substituted by Himmat Singh

Mohsin Khan to Anukul Roy, OUT! CAUGHT! Straight to the fielder and Mohsin has a five-wicket haul. Mohsin Khan brings out the subtle change of pace again, bowling it quicker at over 143 clicks. This is fuller and on the pads, and Anukul Roy gets a bit tucked up. Roy tries to flick it away but ends up clipping it uppishly towards short mid-wicket. Ayush Badoni squats down and takes a safe catch there. Golden duck for Anukul and Kolkata Knight Riders are 73/6.

It is going down south for KKR quickly now. They have lost half their side and have absolutely no momentum. Anukul Roy walks in at number 7.

Mohsin Khan to Cameron Green, OUT! CAUGHT! Cameron Green was itching to go big on every ball and Mohsin Khan gets his man. Mohsin bowls it back of a length and darts the ball well across the right-hander. Green leans across and tries to drag the big shot across the line, but ends up slicing it off the outer half of the blade. The ball gets lobbed up around the gully region and it is the keeper, Rishabh Pant who calls for it, running to his right and he pouches it with ease.

Mohsin Khan to Cameron Green, Hard length around off, Green has a slog across the line but gets it off the inner half of the blade to square leg.

Mohsin Khan to Cameron Green, In the air, will land safely. Slightly back of a length, around middle, Cameron Green leans across and gets under it but swings it high and without much timing towards mid-wicket. Prince Yadav and Digvesh Singh converge towards the ball, but again, there's no communication between them and they both just look at each other as the ball lands between them. Green picks up a couple of runs as well.

Mohsin Khan to Cameron Green, SIX! Mohsin errs in line and Cameron Green helps himself to six runs. Off pace delivery, on a shortish length and down leg. Green picks it early, gets inside the line and swings it over long leg for a biggie.

Mohsin Khan to Rinku Singh, Dug in short and outside off, Rinku Singh fetches the ball and pulls it on the bounce to deep mid-wicket for one.

Halfway reached. KKR are 64/4, still crawling just above run a ball. They need some big overs to get their innings back on track. Mohsin Khan will bowl out. His figures read 3-1-14-3 so far.

Aiden Markram to Rinku Singh, Dragged length around middle, angled into the batter, Singh pushes it down to long on for one more. Just five singles off Markram's first over.

Aiden Markram to Rinku Singh, Tight line on off stump, pushed through quicker. Rinku Singh backs away and jams the cut down to short third.

Aiden Markram to Cameron Green, Markram is bowling to his field and making the batters hit to the longer side of the ground. Fuller on the pads. Cameron steers to deep mid-wicket for just one.

Aiden Markram to Rinku Singh, Good length outside off, at 89.2 kph, Singh cuts it down through the point region and turns the strike over.

Aiden Markram to Cameron Green, On the leg stump line, Green goes on one knee and hits the sweep flat and hard towards deep square leg for just another single.

Aiden Markram to Rinku Singh, Darted in on middle, flatter too, Singh jumps across to the leg side and swats it down to the right of long on for a run.

STRATEGIC BREAK! It's been a difficult ride for the Knight Riders and Raghuvanshi's dismissal is gathering a lot of mixed reactions as well. The pitch is clearly on the slower side, and LSG's bowlers, particularly their frontline attack, were disciplined in keeping it stump to stump, offering the batters very little room to free their arms. However, Green decided to cut loose in the previous over and KKR would hope that was the jailbreak moment for them. More spin deployed. Here's Aiden Markram into the attack.

George Linde to Rinku Singh, Flatter, angled into the pads, and stays a shade low. Singh waits back and dabs it past square leg for one more. 16 off Linde's first over.

George Linde to Cameron Green, Linde slows it up and bowls it shortish outside off, Green pats it down through the cover region for a single.

George Linde to Cameron Green, SIX! Back-to-back! Dropped short on middle and leg again, Green picks the length in a trice and rocks back before powering the pull shot over cow corner for another biggie.

George Linde to Cameron Green, SIX! That's a clean strike from Green. Flighted again, fuller too and drifted into middle and leg. Cameron Green clears the front leg and launches it straight back over long on for a biggie. The 50 is now up for KKR.

George Linde to Rinku Singh, Floated up, very full and around off, Rinku gets across a bit and works it to wide long on for one more.

George Linde to Cameron Green, Bowls it full and on the stumps, Green flicks it away to deep mid-wicket and rotates strike.

George Linde is introduced into the attack. He replaces Mohsin Khan.

Digvesh Singh to Cameron Green, A googly, short at 93.4 kph, on leg. Cameron Green gets across and chips it to the long on region for a single.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, Chance? A pretty difficult one though for Pant. Touch short, just outside off. Rinku Singh rocks back and goes for the late cut, but inside edges to the keeper. The ball thuds Pant's right thigh and rolls wide of short fine leg for a single.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, Very full, almost at the toes, Rinku flicks it all along the ground in the deep pocket on the leg side, between deep mid-wicket and long on and they hustle back for two.

Digvesh Singh to Cameron Green, Flat, full, on leg. Green works it down the ground to long on for a single.

Digvesh Singh to Cameron Green, A leggie, full on leg. Green leans on and flicks it to short mid-wicket. Played more off the inside half.

Digvesh Singh to Rinku Singh, Fuller one, around off. Rinku drives the googly to deep point for a run.

Mohsin Khan to Cameron Green, Slows it up, on a length, on middle. Green watchfully taps it back to the bowler. 3-1-14-3 for Mohsin so far.

Mohsin Khan to Rinku Singh, Short again, around off. Rinku uses his wrists to pull it to deep backward square leg for a single.

Mohsin Khan to Rinku Singh, FOUR! That's very well played by Rinku! A short-pitched delivery, on middle and leg. Rinku presses back, swivels and pulls it into the deep backward square leg gap for a boundary. Good controlled shot.

Mohsin Khan to Rinku Singh, At 134.6 kph, this is bashed hard on a length, on top of off. Rinku Singh blocks it back to the bowler.

Mohsin Khan to Rinku Singh, Nagging length, around off. Rinku dabs it off the back foot to point.

Mohsin Khan to Rinku Singh, WIDE! Too short and outside off. Rinku Singh stands tall and tries to ramp it over the keeper, but misses. It is called a wide for height.

Rinku Singh walks in with KKR in a bunch of trouble.

Mohsin Khan to Rovman Powell, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! It just keeps getting worse for the Knight Riders. Mohsin is over the moon as he picks up his third wicket. He bangs it short into the pitch, around the ribs of the batter, on the leg stump line. Rovman Powell lines up for the pull shot, but the ball brushes the gloves and Pant gathers it to his left. He appeals for caught behind and up goes the finger. KKR are 31/4 after 6.1 overs.

End of the Powerplay and it has been an outstanding one for LSG as they have restricted KKR to 31 for 3 after the first six overs. The top-order woes for KKR continue as LSG pin them to the wall with the top three back in the dugout. Rahane started with caution but played a false stroke, whereas Tim Seifert just couldn't get going. A controversial dismissal of Angkrish Raghuvanshi, as he was caught obstructing the field, all of this has added to the misery of KKR. On the contrary, LSG would be feeling even more that this is their game to lose from this situation.

Digvesh Singh to Cameron Green, A googly, on a length, around off. Green backs away and punches it to cover. KKR are 31/3 at the end of the Powerplay.

Digvesh Singh to Cameron Green, Full and on middle, Cameron lofts it down the ground to the left of long on for a couple of runs.

Digvesh Singh to Rovman Powell, Dropped short on middle, Powell rocks back and hits the pull hard but straight to mid-wicket.

Digvesh Singh to Rovman Powell, Tossed up, fuller and outside off, blocked off the front foot by Powell.

Digvesh Singh to Rovman Powell, Wow, another mix-up between the batters and also between the fielder and the keeper. Bowled full on the pads, Rovman Powell clips it straight to short mid-wicket and the batters set off for a single. Prince Yadav picks up the ball and is caught between two thoughts - whether to throw the ball to the bowler or to go for the run out himself. He tries to do the first one but Digvesh isn't anywhere near the stumps. Then Prince just tries to run in and dislodge the bails with the ball in hand but ends up flicking it past the stumps as Green makes his way back.

Digvesh Singh to Cameron Green, Starts with a short one around off, Cameron Green rocks back and punches it down with a straight bat, towards mid off and gets a single.

What a big call that is from the third umpire and Angkrish Raghuvanshi is completely baffled. Rovman Powell walks out to bat at number 5 and Angkrish shows his frustration even as he makes his way into the dug-out. A decision that will certainly be debated by many, but for now, let's get back to the action. Also, Digvesh Singh comes into the attack now.

Prince Yadav to Angkrish Raghuvanshi, OUT! RAGHUVANSHI IS GONE! This will raise a lot of eyebrows and will be debated about as well. Keeps the stumps in play, does Prince, on a good length. Angkrish Raghuvanshi nudges it off the front foot to the mid on region and looks to cross over. He is sent back from more than halfway as the mid on fielder is quick to get rid of the ball to the batting end. Raghuvanshi turns to scramble back but gets in the way of the throw as he changes direction, making a big U-turn. He dives to make his ground and the ball strikes his left foot. LSG are going upstairs, appealing for obstructing the field. The on-field umpires refer to the TV umpire, who feels that Raghuvanshi changed his direction intentionally and obstructed the field and is deemed out. Angkrish Raghuvanshi walks off the field and is absolutely fuming. Glum faces in the KKR dugout as they just cannot believe what happened out there.

Prince Yadav to Cameron Green, Another one that jags back in, good length, on off. Cameron Green plays from the crease and steers it off the inner half to widish mid-wicket for a run.

Prince Yadav to Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Nip-backer on a length, angling from middle to leg. Angkrish Raghuvanshi walks ahead to negate the movement and tries to clip it to the leg side. Gets an inside edge instead. The ball deflects off the pads and rolls in front of cover for a single.

Prince Yadav to Angkrish Raghuvanshi, On the stumps, touch full, Angkrish Raghuvanshi tilts forward and flicks it to mid-wicket.

Prince Yadav to Cameron Green, Back of a length, on middle. Cameron nudges it to the mid-wicket region for a single.

Prince Yadav to Cameron Green, Full and straight on middle. Cameron Green tucks it to deep backward square leg for a couple of runs.

Prince Yadav to Cameron Green, WIDE! On a good length, down the leg side.

Mohsin Khan to Angkrish Raghuvanshi, FOUR! Glorious by Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Good length, around off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi gets right on top of the bounce and punches this off his front foot through the left of covers for a boundary. First four of the game.

Mohsin Khan to Cameron Green, Hard length, on off, Cameron Green dabs this through short third for a single.

KKR lose both their openers yet again in the Powerplay. The towering figure of Cameron Green is in at number 4.

Mohsin Khan to Ajinkya Rahane, OUT! CAUGHT! Double delight for Mohsin as he gets his second of the evening. On a length, around middle and off, shaping a hint away from the batter. Ajinkya Rahane shuffles away to his leg side and looks to hit this down to long on but gets outdone by the away swing and miscues this off the cue end towards mid off. Aiden Markram settles himself underneath it and takes it nice and easy.

Mohsin Khan to Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Good length, on off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi pushes this towards covers and takes another single.

Mohsin Khan to Ajinkya Rahane, Around that nagging length by Mohsin, on top of off, angling across the batter. Ajinkya Rahane gently places this to the left of backward point and rotates the strike.

Mohsin Khan to Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Good length, on off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi opens his bat face and guides this to the third man region for one run.

Mohammad Shami to Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Good length, on off, Angkrish Raghuvanshi guides this to the deep third region for a single.

Mohammad Shami to Ajinkya Rahane, A risky single and that is a byproduct of this slow start. Hard length, on off, Ajinkya Rahane prods onto the front foot and dabs this in front of Mukul at covers and sets off for a single. Mukul has a go at the stumps towards the bowler's end with an underarm throw but misses by some distance.

Mohammad Shami to Ajinkya Rahane, Excellent comeback from Shami. Seam up, around off, a bit fuller. Ajinkya Rahane steps down the deck to cut the swing on offer but gets beaten on the inside edge as it swings back into him.

Mohammad Shami to Ajinkya Rahane, SIX! Deposited in the stands. It was six the moment he hit it. On a length, around off, Ajinkya Rahane clears the front foot and launches this over the cow corner fence for a biggie.

Mohammad Shami to Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Good length, on middle and leg, Angkrish Raghuvanshi presses onto his front foot and tucks this through square leg to get off the mark with one.

Mohammad Shami to Ajinkya Rahane, Short of a good length outside off, Rahane looks to clip through the leg side, but gets an inside edge onto the back pad. It deflects away towards backward point for a single.

KKR's woes in the Powerplay continue this season. Another opening stand broken cheaply. In walks Angkrish Raghuvanshi at number 3.

Mohsin Khan to Tim Seifert, OUT! CAUGHT! Khan strikes first for LSG and is joyous. On a length, around off, shaping a hint away from the right-hander. Tim Seifert looks to take on the ring of fielders on the off side and goes through with a lofted drive. Fails to get the timing right and ends up miscuing it from the bottom of his bat to Mukul Choudhary at short cover. Perhaps the ball held up a touch on the surface. Mukul takes the catch watchfully around his left shoulder with a reverse cup. Back-to-back ducks for Seifert. KKR are 3/1.

Mohsin Khan to Tim Seifert, BEATEN! This is angled across the right hander, on a good length, outside off. Tim Seifert stays put and tries to steer it away to the off side but plays inside the line and is beaten on the outside edge by a whisker.

Mohsin Khan to Tim Seifert, Full and around off, Tim Seifert drives this crisply towards mid off for a dot.

Mohsin Khan to Ajinkya Rahane, LEG BYE! Hard length, on middle and off, straightening a bit after pitching. Ajinkya Rahane goes for a wild slog across the line but gets beaten on the inside edge and is rapped on the back thigh. A loud appeal for LBW as the batters cross for a leg bye. It is turned down by the on-field umpire. Pant sends this upstairs for a review, only to see the ball being pitched outside leg on the Ball Tracking. On-field decision of not out stays.

Mohsin Khan to Ajinkya Rahane, Rahane is putting himself under immense pressure by playing all these dots and hogging the strike. Pitched up, on middle and off, Ajinkya Rahane thumps this back to the bowler.

Mohsin Khan to Ajinkya Rahane, Back of a length, around off, Ajinkya Rahane dabs this straight to point for another dot.

That was an excellent opening over from Shami. Mohsin Khan will share the new ball from the opposite end.

Mohammad Shami to Ajinkya Rahane, A bit closer to the batter, around off, shaping away from him. Rahane plays the square drive towards deep backward point and takes a single to get off the mark.

Mohammad Shami to Ajinkya Rahane, A tad too full, around off, Ajinkya Rahane drives this to the left of George Linde at point and he does well to put in a dive and field it.

Mohammad Shami to Ajinkya Rahane, Good review by LSG! A dicey call by the umpire, and one believes that the noise from the crowd played its part here. It is too loud out there. There was a definite sound as the ball went past the batter's pad. On a length, down the leg, going further down. Ajinkya Rahane goes for a flick but misses out. Pant moves to his left and gathers this but is sent in disbelief as the umpire calls it a wide. Pant sends this upstairs for a review and the UltraEdge shows a spike off the front pad of Rahane. The on-field decision is overturned. It is a fair delivery.

Mohammad Shami to Ajinkya Rahane, WIDE! Shami errs in line a bit. Gets a huge inswing that curves down leg on a good length. The ball beats Rahane on his attempted flick and the umpire signals for a wide.

Mohammad Shami to Ajinkya Rahane, On a length, wide of off, once again the ball is shaping away from Rahane. The KKR skipper just guides this to backward point.

Mohammad Shami to Ajinkya Rahane, Shami drags the length back a shade and bowls it on a good length, around off, but shapes it away from the batter. Rahane defends this right underneath his eyeline.

Mohammad Shami to Ajinkya Rahane, Swing on display straightaway by Shami. Fuller one, shaping away from the batter, Ajinkya Rahane gets right on top of the bounce and blocks this around mid on.

All set to get going in the City of Nawabs. Out walk the two umpires. Rishabh Pant has his men in the huddle before the Super Giants spread throughout the field. Ajinkya Rahane walks out with Tim Seifert to open the innings for KKR. Mohammad Shami has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. A slip is in position and it will be Shami vs Rahane first up. Here we go!

Back to the original pair? It looks like LSG will reset and go back with their designated opening pair of Marsh and Markram, while Badoni might be pushed back into the middle order. Also, they fielded only three overseas players against Rajasthan Royals, but Linde comes in this time, perhaps brought in to exploit the slowish conditions. He could also offer a handy match-up against a KKR batting order that has a lot of right-handers.

The fortress is breached - After winning two back-to-back games in Chepauk, CSK couldn't make it a hat trick of wins in front of their home crowd. In the afternoon game, Gujarat Titans beat them by 8 wickets with 20 balls to spare. The result lifts Gujarat to fifth in the table, while CSK slip to sixth, suffering their fifth defeat in eight games.

Impact sub options for LSG - Himmat Singh, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Abdul Samad, Avesh Khan and Manimaran Siddharth.

Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI) - Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (C/WK), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Mukul Choudhary, George Linde (In for Manimaran Siddharth), Mohammad Shami, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh and Mohsin Khan.

Impact sub options for KKR - Manish Pandey, Finn Allen, Tejasvi Singh, Navdeep Saini and Varun Chakaravarthy.

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

The captain of Kolkata Knight Riders - Ajinkya Rahane mentions that they were looking to bat first. The reason for that, he says, they wanted to give the batting unit the freedom to go out and express themselves. On conditions, Rahane says the priority right now is assessing how the team is functioning as a unit. Mentions that the bowling unit has come together nicely in the last few games. Informs that they are going unchanged. On the week-long break, Rahane calls it much-needed. Adds the win before the break was important for morale. Also shares that the last two to three days were spent sitting together as a group, reflecting on the first seven games, identifying what went right and where they can improve. Adds that the practice sessions have been good, and he is looking forward to the game.

The captain of Lucknow Super Giants - Rishabh Pant says they want to see what the target is and get the answers as a batting group. On the team changes, Pant informs that George Linde comes in for Manimaran Siddharth. On leading a group with so many experienced heads, Pant is measured about that. Says when there are a lot of leaders in the side, the challenge is finding a way to win together. He feels they are getting close to cracking that and stresses the need to stick together and turn things around. He is confident that it will happen.

TOSS - It is time for the coin to go up in Lucknow. Both captains - Rishabh Pant and Ajinkya Rahane are out in the middle with their team sheets exchanged. Anjum Chopra will lead the proceedings. Pant will give it a flick and Rahane calls Heads. It lands as Tails. Lucknow Super Giants have elected to BOWL first.

A word from The Bison - LSG's Mitchell Marsh, on the batting challenges, humorously acknowledges that his current strike rate is reminiscent of his father's playing days, noting it as an area for improvement. Marsh admits the batting unit has struggled to find a consistent rhythm but emphasises a strategy to maximise the Powerplay. On Justin Langer's comparison of this pitch to the WACA, Marsh is not quite ready to go that far. He says he has enjoyed batting here and while it is a big ground, the boundaries are still reasonably compact by global standards. He feels that good cricket shots get rewarded. Mentions that it can take a little time to get in, but once a batter does, it is a great surface to play. He is hopeful of some strong partnerships tonight. On the opening combination for LSG, Marsh deflects with a grin, saying those conversations are a little above his pay grade at this franchise. He is not fussed about who he walks out with. Says whoever it is, the goal is simple - to get off to the best possible start and make an impact.

What's going on in Chennai? In the afternoon game between CSK and GT at Chepauk, the Gujarat Titans are inching closer to a win. They were asked to chase a middling total of 159 runs. And once again, the top three of the Titans are proving too hot to handle for the opposition. Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler are guiding their side to an away win. As per the latest reports, the Titans need just 30 runs in the last 6 overs. As we wait for the toss from this game, you can catch all the updates from that match by simply switching tabs. 

PITCH REPORT - Deep Dasgupta is pitchside in Lucknow. He straightaway shares that the Ekana Stadium is the lowest scoring venue so far in this IPL season, with the average first inning score around 155-160. Informs that the square boundaries are 64 meters and 69 meters respectively, while it is 73 meters straight down the ground. Also informs that it is a black soil strip and is being used for the first time this year. Simon Katich joins him with his analysis and observes that there are jigsaw cracks on pitch number 6 (the one being used for this game). He reckons that because of that, there might be variable bounce for the pacers. Katich then breaks down the difference between red-soil and black-soil surfaces, using the LSG versus Rajasthan Royals game, played on a red-soil pitch, as his reference point. On red soil, he explains, there is, on average, 9 centimetres more bounce, and that extra bounce caused problems for batters the other night, with the odd short ball and bouncer finding the deeper pockets out square. On this black-soil surface, Katich expects the bounce to be a little lower and a touch variable. Feels that there won't be much bounce and could be the difference maker. Also notes that 8 of the last 11 matches in Lucknow have been won by the chasing side. Adds that LSG bucked that trend the other night, but Katich feels their approach in the first ten overs needs a rethink. He underlines that they have plenty of overseas firepower, but by going too hard too early, they have not been able to use it at the back end of the innings. Deep Dasgupta also reaffirms that this doesn't look like a high-scoring pitch because of those cracks and is a bit tacky in nature as well. Ends by saying that the captain who wins the toss would like to chase.

Tactical outlook - Tactically, the game may be decided by how well the spinners, Narine and Varun Chakravarthy for KKR versus the LSG slow-bowling unit, can control the middle overs. Being the lone frontline spinner, a lot will depend on Digvesh Singh to turn the screws in his side's favor. Given the recent trends at this venue, the captain winning the toss might prefer to bowl first to gauge the surface behavior under lights. Stay tuned for toss and team news. 

KKR’s high-price pressure - For KKR, the 2026 season has been a story of unmet expectations following another record-breaking auction. Despite investing heavily in Cameron Green and Matheesha Pathirana, the team has struggled to find a winning formula. Their silver lining has been the emergence of youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who currently leads their scoring charts with 200 runs. KKR’s main weakness has been their bowling at the death, which has repeatedly allowed games to slip away, and the intent with which the top order has played in the Powerplay. To turn things around, they will rely on the spin wizardry of Sunil Narine, who is just two wickets away from reaching the historic 200-wicket milestone in the IPL and Varun Chakaravarthy as well.

LSG’s quest for clinical execution - The primary issue for the Rishabh Pant-led LSG has been a lack of cohesion in their batting. While Mitchell Marsh has provided some spark at the top with over 200 runs this season, the team has failed to post or chase competitive totals, recently being bundled out for just 119 against Rajasthan. Their strength remains their experienced pace attack, led by Mohammed Shami, who has been one of the top Powerplay wicket-takers this year. However, they need more from the likes of Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram with the bat, if they are to exploit the tricky, two-paced nature of their home turf in Lucknow. Also, the coaching staff of Lucknow Super Giants might be feeling the need to reconsider bringing Aiden Markram back at the top as a promotion for Ayush Badoni has not done any good to either LSG or Ayush himself.

A battle to avoid the basement - Hello and welcome to all the fans of this beautiful game, tuning in. Match 38 of the ongoing IPL will be played between Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders, who find themselves languishing at the bottom of the table, occupying 9th and 10th positions respectively. For LSG, a once-promising start has crumbled into a worrying four-match losing streak, while KKR has struggled for any consistent momentum, managing just a single victory from their first seven games. With the playoffs quickly moving out of reach, this match represents a must-win for both camps to avoid being close to be the first to fall out of contention.

... MATCHDAY ...

One step forward? Match 38 of the Indian Premier League 2026 brings a clash between two sides searching for answers, as Lucknow Super Giants host Kolkata Knight Riders at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. LSG have just two wins in seven games and are stuck in a four-match losing streak, while KKR finally tasted victory in their last outing and will be eager to climb off the bottom. Interestingly, Lucknow's last win came against Kolkata in a thriller, a game that saw the emergence of Mukul Choudhary, whose unbeaten 54 off 27 sealed it but since then, it's been a downward spiral. LSG's batting under the scanner - Lucknow's struggles have largely stemmed from inconsistent batting. Mitchell Marsh has been decent with 210 runs in 7 games but hasn't quite hit top gear, while Aiden Markram, Ayush Badoni and skipper Rishabh Pant have chipped in without producing a collective effort. Pant's strike rate of 132.43 in the middle order hasn't quite lifted the tempo when needed. The constant chopping and changing at the top, coupled with regular Powerplay wickets, has only made things worse. The biggest disappointment has been Nicholas Pooran, managing just 73 runs in 7 games, while Abdul Samad has blown hot and cold. Their last outing summed it up - bowled out for 119 chasing 160. Bowling keeping them in the fight - However, the bowling unit has kept them competitive. Mohammad Shami has been sharp with the new ball, picking up 7 wickets at an economy of 8, while Prince Yadav has been a revelation with 13 wickets, nailing yorkers at the death. Mohsin Khan impressed in the last game, even bowling a maiden to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and dismissing him, showcasing his ability with the new ball. The spin department, though, hasn't quite delivered, with Digvesh Singh less effective than last season and Manimaran Siddharth inconsistent. KKR's flicker of hope - Kolkata Knight Riders finally got their first win of the season against Rajasthan Royals, the same side that beat Lucknow in their last game, underlining the unpredictable nature of the league. But their issues remain similar, especially in the Powerplay, where they've lost three wickets in consecutive games. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane started well but has since struggled, registering back-to-back ducks. Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been their standout batter and the only one to hit 200 runs this season, while Cameron Green finding some rhythm with the bat is a positive, even if his bowling remains patchy. Combination puzzle - The opening combination remains unsettled with Finn Allen and Tim Seifert not quite clicking, and with Matheesha Pathirana joining the squad, changes could be on the cards, including pushing Sunil Narine up the order. Another option could be tweaking the middle order, though the inclusion of Rovman Powell has brought better balance. Rinku Singh has been struggling but found form with a match-winning fifty in the last game, which should boost his confidence. Anukul Roy also played a crucial cameo and has contributed well with the ball, while Ramandeep Singh remains inconsistent, with a debut for someone like Tejasvi Singh or Sarthak Ranjan a possibility. Spin holds the key - With the ball, Kartik Tyagi has been their standout, consistently touching 150 kph and picking up 8 wickets, while Vaibhav Arora has taken wickets but at a high economy. The real strength lies in spin. Sunil Narine has been exceptional with an economy of just 6.82, while Varun Chakravarthy rediscovered his touch with a brilliant 3/14 against RR. When these two strike in tandem, KKR tend to control games and often win them. Home woes continues - The Ekana Cricket Stadium has offered a different challenge this season, with the average first innings score hovering just above 154. Pacers have picked up the bulk of wickets, making early breakthroughs crucial. Interestingly, Lucknow are yet to win at home this season, adding another layer of pressure. Form (Last 5 completed IPL games, recent first) - LSG - LLLLW | KKR - WLLLL. A chance to turn it around -  Lucknow lead the head-to-head 5-2 and will look to complete the double, but form is hardly on their side. Kolkata, with a win finally under their belt, have a chance to build momentum and climb out of the bottom. Two struggling teams, one opportunity and sometimes all it takes is one game to turn a season around.