Kolkata Knight Riders fixtures and season outlook 2026: Mumbai opener, then a tight Eden Gardens block
Kolkata Knight Riders’ confirmed IPL 2026 opening phase is defined by timing and location: they begin away against Mumbai Indians on Sun Mar 29, 7:30 PM IST at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, then move into three Eden Gardens fixtures in a six-day span from Apr 2 to Apr 9, all scheduled for 7:30 PM IST. For fans following the early rhythm of the season, that means KKR’s first confirmed block is easy to map from one away start into a concentrated run at home.
This article uses only confirmed schedule data from the corpus snippet and does not include results, points, NRR, or squad claims. The source confirms the dates, times, venues, and opponents, while the opening-phase window for KKR runs from March 29 to April 9.
KKR IPL 2026 fixtures table
| Match | Date | Time (IST) | Opponent | Venue | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 1 | Sun Mar 29 | 7:30 PM IST | Mumbai Indians | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Away |
| Match 2 | Thu Apr 2 | 7:30 PM IST | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Home |
| Match 3 | Mon Apr 6 | 7:30 PM IST | Punjab Kings | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Home |
| Match 4 | Thu Apr 9 | 7:30 PM IST | Lucknow Super Giants | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Home |
KKR opening-phase outlook
| Phase | Confirmed fixtures | Venue pattern | What it means for KKR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Away opener | MI vs KKR on Sun Mar 29 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | KKR start the season on the road before returning to Kolkata |
| Eden Gardens block | KKR vs SRH on Thu Apr 2, KKR vs PBKS on Mon Apr 6, KKR vs LSG on Thu Apr 9 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Three confirmed home fixtures arrive in a compact six-day window |
| Opening-phase window | March 29 to April 9 | Away first, then sustained home run | The early schedule shifts quickly from Mumbai to a concentrated Eden Gardens stretch |
Confirmed opening-phase summary
- Away start: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders on Sun Mar 29, 7:30 PM IST at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
- Eden Gardens home fixtures:
- Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thu Apr 2, 7:30 PM IST
- Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings on Mon Apr 6, 7:30 PM IST
- Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants on Thu Apr 9, 7:30 PM IST
The confirmed opening-phase window for Kolkata Knight Riders runs from March 29 to April 9, beginning in Mumbai and then shifting to three straight home fixtures at Eden Gardens.