Rajasthan Royals will be aiming to quickly regroup and return to winning ways when they face a struggling Kolkata Knight Riders in an afternoon clash on Sunday, with the two teams entering the contest on contrasting trajectories this season.
For young wicketkeeper-batter Mukul Choudhary, who lit up the Eden Gardens with a match-winning half century for Lucknow Super Giants against Kolkata Knight Riders in Thursday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 contest, it meant much more than just two points for his team but a reminder of the sacrifices his father made to help him chase his cricketing dreams.
Kolkata Knight Riders could finally unlock the full potential of their marquee signing Cameron Green, with the Australian all-rounder likely to resume bowling duties as they look to end their winless run against Lucknow Super Giants at home on Thursday.
Ramandeep, who joined Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024 and was part of the squad that secured the franchise’s third IPL title, has steadily grown into a key utility player.
A wicket-keeper batter in his playing days, Yagnik enjoyed a solid domestic career representing Rajasthan and also made 25 IPL appearances between 2011 and 2014.
Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Shreyas Iyer said Tim Southee, Sam Billings and Rinku Singh come into the playing eleven in place of Aaron Finch, Pat Cummins and Sheldon Jackson.
After missing the initial matches due to leading Australia in white-ball tour of Pakistan, Finch's Kolkata debut saw him get out for just seven. But he made a strong comeback in a run-fest against Rajasthan Royals, making a 28-ball 58.
It seemed like KKR were cruising to victory after opener Aaron Finch struck a quick-fire 58 of 28 balls and skipper Shreyas Iyer, who scored an impressive 85 off 51 deliveries. Both Finch and Shreyas shared a partnership of 106 runs for the second wicket in quick time.
Having captained Delhi from mid-2018 to the 2020 season, Iyer has had a mixed bag of results as the captain. Kolkata have won three and lost as many games in the IPL 2022 so far.
The talented West Indian spinner, who will be playing his 150th match for KKR later on Monday, has completed 10 years with the franchise.
