Kolkata/IBNS, April 9 -- Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and elected to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026 at Eden Gardens on Thursday.

Pant opted to field first in view of the heavy rain that lashed the city earlier in the day.

Conditions have improved significantly, with clear skies and no rainfall since morning, raising hopes for a full match.

The ground appears match-ready after being fully covered until the evening.

LSG have gone in with an unchanged XI, with Pant emphasising their batting-heavy top order.

Playing XI

LSG XI: M. Marsh, A. Markram, R. Pant (c & wk), N. Pooran, A. Samad, M. Choudhary, M. Siddharth, A. Khan, M. Shami, D. Singh Rathi, P. Yadav.

KKR XI: A. Rahane (c), F. Alle...