The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are set to face off against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 2025 Indian Premier League, but there’s been a change to the schedule. Originally planned for an earlier date, the match will now be played on April 8 at Eden Gardens. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made this announcement on March 28. The reason for the switch? Both the Kolkata Police and the Cricket Association of Bengal noticed a shortage of police officers during the Ram Navami festivities, making it tricky to ensure everything runs smoothly.
So, mark your calendars for the new time: KKR will take the field against LSG at 3:30 PM (IST) on April 8. What’s more, that Tuesday will be an exciting day for cricket fans since there’ll be double matches. Earlier that day, the Punjab Kings will go head-to-head with the Chennai Super Kings in Chandigarh at 7:30 PM. The BCCI reassured everyone that this change won’t impact the schedules of any other matches, so fans can still look forward to a packed lineup as originally planned.
There was some talk about possibly moving the KKR vs LSG match to Guwahati, but thankfully, that’s not happening. The game will stay in Kolkata, thanks in part to the efforts of the Cricket Association of Bengal, which really pushed to keep it at the iconic Eden Gardens. This decision came after the local police and CAB sought more security to manage the extra crowds expected during the Ram Navami celebrations in the city.
But wait, there’s more going on with KKR than just the schedule shake-up. A bit of a spat has sparked between the team and their pitch curator, Sujan Mukherjee. The tension is largely due to the concerns raised by the team’s captain, Ajinkya Rahane, who voiced his frustrations after noticing that the pitch wasn’t playing in their favor. He mentioned in a post-match press conference that it would be nice if the pitch were more friendly to spin bowlers, indicating his worry about how the surface could affect the team’s performance. So, not only do KKR have to worry about the new match date, but they also need to sort out their pitch issues if they want to stay competitive this season.
