Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2026 Full Schedule: Owners, Fixtures, Dates, Timings, Venues

Kolkata Knight Riders will enter the Indian Premier League in 2026 and will be hoping to rediscover the form that helped them shine in 2024. This season looks different for the franchise as Andre Russell is no longer a part of the team, which likely marks the end of a long and memorable chapter. However, the team has a mix of experienced players and talented youngsters. If everything works out at the right time, this group has the potential to surprise many opponents during the season.

Playing at their home ground, Eden Gardens, will once again play a big role for the team. Led by Ajinkya Rahane, the Knights understand that strong results at home can shape their entire campaign. The season begins with an away match, but soon after that they return to Kolkata for three consecutive home games to end the first phase. If they capitalize on that phase, they can build early momentum for the rest of the tournament.

KKR will begin their campaign with a tough trip to the Wankhede Stadium, where they will face their long-time rivals Mumbai Indians. The Knights’ record at this venue is not in their favour. In the history of the IPL, they have played Mumbai 11 times at the Wankhede but have managed to win only twice.

Interestingly, those two wins – one in 2012 and the other in 2024 – came in the season when Kolkata finally lifted the IPL trophy. At the same time, Mumbai have struggled in the opening matches and have not won their first match of the season since 2012. Because of that, KKR fans can look at this match as a positive sign for what can happen later in the tournament.

After the opener, the team returns to Kolkata for a busy week with three matches at the Eden Gardens. Their first opponent will be Sunrisers Hyderabad, a replay of the 2024 final, with both teams keen to prove their mettle once again. Next, Punjab Kings come in for an emotional clash, as PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer takes on the franchise he once led to the IPL title. The final match in this opening block will be played on April 9 when Lucknow Super Giants travel to Kolkata to take on KKR.

Captain: Ajinkya Rahane
Vice-Captain: Rinku Singh
Coach: Abhishek Nayar
Owner: Knight Riders Sports Private Limited
Home ground: Eden Gardens
IPL titles: 3 (2012, 2014, 2024)

Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2026 Full Schedule

Match	Date	Time (IST)	Venue	Teams
Match 2	Mar 29 (Sun)	7:30 PM	Wankhede Stadium	MI vs KKR
Match 6	Apr 2 (Thu)	7:30 PM	Eden Gardens	KKR vs SRH
Match 12	Apr 6 (Mon)	7:30 PM	Eden Gardens	KKR vs PBKS
Match 15	Apr 9 (Thu)	7:30 PM	Eden Gardens	KKR vs LSG

KKR Squad For IPL 2026

Player Name	Role
Ajinkya Rahane	Batter
Rinku Singh	Batter
Angkrish Raghuvanshi	Batter
Manish Pandey	Batter
Cameron Green	Batter
Finn Allen	WK-Batter
Tejasvi Singh	WK-Batter
Rahul Tripathi	Batter
Tim Seifert	WK-Batter
Rovman Powell	Batter
Anukul Roy	All-Rounder
Sarthak Ranjan	All-Rounder
Daksh Kamra	All-Rounder
Rachin Ravindra	All-Rounder
Ramandeep Singh	All-Rounder
Vaibhav Arora	Bowler
Matheesha Pathirana	Bowler
Kartik Tyagi	Bowler
Prashant Solanki	Bowler
Saurabh Dubey	Bowler
Navdeep Saini	Bowler
Umran Malik	Bowler
Sunil Narine	Bowler
Varun Chakaravarthy	Bowler
Blessing muzarabani	Bowler

Replacements & Squad Impact

Navdeep Saini was signed as a replacement for Harshit Rana.
Saurabh Dubey was signed to replace the injured Akash Deep.
Blessing Muzarabani joined the squad for Rs 75 lakh.
Matheesha Pathirana – It will only be available from mid-April, as this calf is a female that was taken during the recent T20 World Cup.

Key Strengths

Explosive middle order: Rinku Singh, and Rovman Powell formed a middle order that was capable of turning matches around.
Spin powerhouse: With Narine, Chakravarthy and Rachin Ravindra, KKR had perhaps the best spin attack in the tournament.
Experienced core: Players like Rahane, Manish Pandey and Rahul Tripathi brought composure in pressure situations.
All-round depth: Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh and Cameron Green provided a lot of bowling with the batting lineup.

A look at KKR’s 2026 season

First match: March 29 vs mi in Wankhede Stadium was a highly anticipated opener.
Ajinkya Rahane leads the team, with Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Sunil Narine showing experience and firepower.
KKR aims to claim its Fourth IPL title, backed by powerful squad depth as well as batting all-rounders.

Conclusion

The Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2026 schedule looks very exciting as the team continues to entertain fans with strong and consistent performances throughout the tournament. If you want to know more about other IPL teams, join us today and explore the world of cricket at its best!

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Next Read: Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026: Full Schedule, Squads, Match Dates & Venues

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Who owned Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026?

Kolkata Knight Riders was owned by Red Chillies Entertainment, which was co-owned by Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta.

Q2. Who captained and guided KKR in IPL 2026?

In IPL 2026, Ajinkya Rahane captain of KKR.

Q3. In the 2026 auction, who did KKR purchase?

Australian all-rounder Cameron Green was a major goal for KKR. To bolster the batting lineup, Jamie Smith and Prithvi Shaw were further possible targets.

Q4.What are the advantages and disadvantages of KKR?

Strengths: High-purse flexibility, powerful spin assault (Narine, Chakravarthy), and explosive batting depth.
Weaknesses: Insufficient fast-bowling options and an excessive dependence on important players like Rinku Singh.