Kolkata Knight Riders have definitely found themselves in the news way more than they need at this stage of the season. What has made the matter worse is the performance of key players such as Ajinkya Rahane, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Cameron Green. Chakaravarthy, who was not putting a foot wrong until the T20 World Cup 2026 group stage, has found the going tough since the Super 8s, as the batters have found him out and begun to go after him right from his opening spell. The same was the case in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday at the Eden Gardens.
After losing to the Mumbai Indians by six wickets, KKR saw themselves hammered by Sunrisers Hyderabad. A crucial opening partnership of 82 between Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, followed by a solid 52 off just 35 balls from Heinrich Klaasen, took the match further away from KKR, as a brief fightback still ended in a 65-run defeat for the home side.
This marked the second time this season that KKR’s bowling lineup was unable to restrict a team below 200 on the scoreboard. The struggles could continue in upcoming matches, as KKR’s bowling plans currently seem to lack clear direction under pressure.
Indian spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin, who has more than 750 wickets for his nation, highlighted his growing concerns about KKR’s bowling, saying, not a single bowler looked comfortable against SRH.
“KKR are going to have a lot of problems this season. Forget about their batting, bowling, and all of that. The way they played this game and the last game, I think that they don’t have one bowler whom they can bank on for four overs. Many times you have one or two weak links whom you look to support, but you don’t have even one bowler who can guarantee you four overs.” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
The Varun dilemma
Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy, despite being part of India’s T20 World Cup 2026-winning squad, did not have a memorable individual campaign, which adds to KKR’s woes as they wait for their mystery spinner to rediscover his edge. His struggles began after the group stage, when he conceded the worst figures by an Indian bowler in T20 WC history: 1/64 against England. That dip seems to have carried into this IPL campaign. He has looked inconsistent with his lines, going for a hefty 48 runs against the Mumbai Indians, followed by a 31-run bashing in just 2 overs against SRH.
Ashwin took stock of the matter, saying the need of the hour is for Varun to find answers and deliver the goods.
“What happens with a bowler, when they get hit a lot, this is a time for Varun that he has never seen before. This is a massive blow for him. When I look at him, I feel his confidence is very low. If you are under so much pressure, there are methods to improve your practice. I feel he needs to take some time. This stage comes to everyone, where bowlers will pick you easily and even score runs. The game is pushing you to find a method and move forward. He will have to find answers.”
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