Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) faced with a double failure IPL 2026 clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) At Eden Gardens, their two key bowlers – Sunil Narine and Varun Chakraborty – were ruled out of the match. The absence of these experienced players immediately caught the attention of the fans, especially given the importance KKR places on their bowling attack.
KKR vs PBKS: Why Sunil Narine and Varun Chakraborty not playing in today’s match?
During the toss, captain Ajinkya Rahane confirmed the reasons for the changes. Chakraborty is out due to injury and Narine is out due to illness. These were not tactical decisions, but forced changes that the team had to deal with on game day.
Rahane explained, “Two changes, forced changes. Unfortunately, Varun Chakravarthy got injured catching in the last game and Sunil Narine is sick. (Rovman) Powell and (Navdeep) Saini are in.”
Chakravarthy’s injury reportedly occurred when he injured himself while trying to catch in the previous match. Given his role as one of KKR’s most reliable spinners, his absence leaves a glaring void in the middle-order. Narine’s unavailability due to illness further complicates the matter as he provides flexibility not only with the ball but also with the bat.
Despite these setbacks, Rahane seemed confident in his team’s mindset and preparation. Winning the toss, KKR opted to bat first, with the skipper explaining his views based on the pitch conditions.
“We’ll bat first. Good wicket looks a bit on the drier side but it’s a very good wicket and a bit less grass. That’s why we put runs on the board in the first place,” Rahane said.
Punjab Kings (XI Game): Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Cooper Connolly, Nehal Vadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vishak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Also READ: KKR vs PBKS, IPL 2026 – Eden Gardens Pitch Report and Kolkata Weather Forecast
Punjab Kings go with an unchanged XI
On the other hand, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer had no complaints about losing the toss. In fact, he seemed comfortable with the situation and backed his team to perform regardless of the conditions.
“Absolutely not, I should have played too. I’m very happy with the decision he made.” Iyer said.
He also spoke about his working relationship with head coach Ricky Ponting, and appreciated the freedom and trust given to players under his leadership.
“Our chemistry has blossomed since our Delhi Capitals days. And he’s the one who gives all the freedom and freedom to the youngsters in the team. Inspired by being himself, he’s played brilliant cricket over the years. And we’ve looked at him as one of the best cricketers in the world. So he’s working alongside him at the same time. We know he has a lot of ideas at Punjab Kings. he explained.
Punjab Kings, unlike KKR, went into the game with an unchanged XI and hinted at stability in their approach.
Kolkata Knight Riders (Game XI): Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Navdeep Saini, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi.
