In a massive news coming out of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ camp, big names in Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine are not playing in their crucial IPL 2026 clash on April 6, Monday at the storied venue of the Eden Gardens. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane confirmed it during toss, finalising two changes as the Knight Riders target a win.
Why are Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine not playing in KKR vs PBKS IPL 2026 game?
At the toss, the 37-year-old revealed that Chakravarthy had injured himself while catching practice during a practice session, rendering him unavailable to play. Meanwhile, Narine, a bona fide match-winner for KKR since joining the franchise in 2012, is sick. Right-arm speedster Navdeep Saini will make his KKR debut, with Rovman Powell taking Narine’s spot, giving them a batting boost.
The Punjab Kings have unsurprisingly not made any change to their XI.
KKR searching for their first win of IPL 2026
The Knight Riders have started their campaign with two consecutive losses – going down convincingly to the Mumbai Indians and SunRisers Hyderabad. KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane has arguably grabbed the spotlight not only due to back-to-back losses but also his comments following the 65-run defeat to the SunRisers Hyderabad. With criticism coming his way, Rahane, known for his composure dropped it and lashed out at his critics. There have also been reports of rift in the KKR camp and it could severely dent their chances of making a comeback when the tournament reaches the business end.
The three-time champions had notably lost to Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 while chasing a paltry 112.
