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The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their first home match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, April 2.
KKR, led by Ajinkya Rahane, started the season with a loss against the Mumbai Indians. They scored a big total of 220 runs but their bowlers could not defend it. Because of this, the team will expect a better performance from the bowling unit in this match.
Sunrisers Hyderabad also had a similar start. They failed to defend a total of 201 runs against the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Their bowlers also struggled in that match.
Both teams have bowling attacks that still need to prove themselves this season. KKR are also waiting for the arrival of Matheesha Pathirana. Meanwhile, players like Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, and Blessing Muzarabani will look to improve their performances. For SRH, bowlers like Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat will also aim to do better.
Here are three bowlers who could perform well in the KKR vs SRH match.
1. Varun Chakaravarthy (KKR)
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Varun Chakaravarthy will want to bounce back after going wicketless against Mumbai Indians. The mystery spinner has a good record at Eden Gardens. He has taken 30 wickets in 22 matches at this ground with an economy rate of 8.60.
Varun also performs well against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has taken 14 wickets in 13 matches against them. His ability to confuse batters with different variations makes him a key bowler for KKR.
The 34-year-old was also in great form recently. He was among the top wicket-takers when India won the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. Overall, he has taken 197 wickets in 151 T20 matches.
2. Jaydev Unadkat (SRH)
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Jaydev Unadkat did not have a big impact in SRH’s first match against RCB, where he took 1 wicket for 29 runs in three overs. However, he has a decent record in Kolkata.
The left-arm pacer has taken nine wickets in 11 matches at this venue. Against KKR, he has picked up 10 wickets in 14 matches, including a strong performance last season.
Unadkat is known for taking wickets in the powerplay with the new ball. In the IPL, he has taken 111 wickets in 113 matches. In overall T20 cricket, he has 258 wickets in 214 games.
3. Vaibhav Arora (KKR)
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Vaibhav Arora will also look to improve after conceding 52 runs in four overs against Mumbai Indians in the first match.
Despite that performance, Arora has a good record at Eden Gardens. He has taken 17 wickets in 13 matches at this ground. He also took 3/29 against SRH last season.
Arora is known for swinging the ball early in the innings and picking up wickets in the powerplay. He also performed well in domestic tournaments like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2025.
Overall, he has taken 76 wickets in 70 T20 matches.
Conclusion
Both teams will be eager to register their first win of the season. The bowlers could play a key role in deciding the result. Varun Chakaravarthy, Jaydev Unadkat, and Vaibhav Arora have the ability to make a big impact in this match at Eden Gardens. If they perform well, they could help their teams get an important victory.
Also Read: KKR vs SRH IPL 2026: Top 3 Players Who Can Score the Most Runs
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