KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders
🏆 3 titles 📍 Eden Gardens 👑 Ajinkya Rahane
Schedule Results Squad News
Three-time champions backed by Bollywood royalty Shah Rukh Khan. KKR's title wins in 2012, 2014 and 2024 span cricket eras. Playing at Eden Gardens — India's largest stadium — creates an unmatched atmosphere. Their 2024 return to glory was built on disciplined team cricket.
This page provides everything you need to follow this franchise throughout IPL 2026. The Schedule tab shows all upcoming fixtures — home and away matches — with dates, times (IST and UTC), venues and opposition teams. The Results tab gives the complete match history for this season with full scores and outcomes. The Players tab shows the current squad roster with each player's profile, batting and bowling statistics, and career record in the IPL.
Each IPL team plays 14 group stage matches — 7 at their home ground and 7 away at opposition venues across India. The double round-robin format means every team plays every other team twice. Points are 2 for a win, 1 each for a tied or rained-off match, and 0 for a loss. The top four teams advance to the playoffs, with the 1st and 2nd placed sides getting two chances to reach the Final. The IPL Grand Final takes place in late May, typically on a Sunday afternoon to maximise global viewership.
IPL 2026 uses the Impact Player substitution rule, introduced in 2023. Each team can substitute one player into the XI during the match — the substitution must be declared at the toss from four nominated impact player options on the team sheet. The replacement can be made at the start of either innings or at the fall of a wicket. This tactical innovation allows teams to bring in a specialist batsman to chase down totals or a wicket-taking bowler when the match situation demands. The rule has significantly increased average scores as teams can play an extra batting option.
IPL 2026 matches are broadcast live in India on the JioStar streaming platform (formerly Hotstar) and on Star Sports television channels — Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 2 HD and Star Sports Select channels. The Star Sports network holds the IPL broadcast rights for the Indian subcontinent through 2027. International broadcasts are provided through regional rights holders: Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, Fox Sports in Australia, SuperSport in South Africa, Willow TV and ESPN+ in North America. Several countries also have free-to-air options through public broadcasters.
IPL match tickets are sold through the BCCI/IPL official ticketing portal, individual franchise websites, BookMyShow and Paytm platforms. Tickets typically go on sale 2–4 weeks before each match, with prices ranging from ₹500 for general stand tickets to ₹15,000+ for premium hospitality packages. Home matches create incredible atmospheres at each franchise's ground — the passionate local fanbases are a defining feature of the IPL experience. Day matches (3:30 PM IST) are suited to families, while the iconic evening matches (7:30 PM IST) under floodlights attract the full noise of a cricket-mad crowd.
Building a competitive IPL squad requires balancing multiple considerations within the auction budget. Teams need proven match-winners, reliable Indian players to fill the six mandatory domestic slots in the playing XI, specialist death bowlers, powerful finishers, and at least two quality overseas players for the four permitted overseas spots. The best franchise directors combine their eye for talent with data analytics — measuring metrics like powerplay strike rates, death-over economy rates, and performance under pressure. Squad depth is crucial: injuries, the Asia Cup window and international call-ups regularly disrupt teams mid-season.
In a tournament where the margins between playoff qualification and elimination can be razor-thin, Net Run Rate (NRR) is a crucial metric every fan should understand. NRR = (Runs Scored ÷ Overs Faced) minus (Runs Conceded ÷ Overs Bowled). Teams can boost their NRR by winning matches convincingly — either posting big totals or chasing down targets with overs to spare. Conversely, a team that repeatedly loses by large margins will have a badly negative NRR that may cost them a playoff spot even if they have the same points as another team. This is why net run rate-conscious captains often push for bonus runs late in an innings even after a game is won.
