Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will hope to register their first win of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 when they lock horns with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Tuesday, April 14, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Ahead of the much-anticipated clash, former India opener Aakash Chopra underscored KKR’s fitness struggles and the unavailability of key players.
Chopra mentioned that Matheesha Pathirana, who has finally received his fitness certificate from the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), will not be available for Tuesday’s clash. The right-arm seamer was roped in by KKR at the IPL 2026 mini auction for INR 18 crore.
On the other hand, Chopra said that while Varun Chakaravarthy has resumed bowling in the nets, he is seemingly recovering from a hairline fracture. If the mystery spinner is deemed fit to play on Tuesday, Chopra stated that he could replace Anukul Roy in the playing XI.
“Pathirana is fit but not available. He has got the fitness certificate, but is unavailable for this match. It would have been great had Pathirana come as he had played for Chennai only, and could have played against them now, but KKR’s problems are not ending,” Chopra said in a video shared on his YouTube channel.
“They are a team that is still searching for a win. Varun Chakaravarthy has started bowling, that’s good news, but his hand is still bandaged. Hairline fracture is what I have heard. He is from Chennai only. Even though his current form is not great, you feel he would do better if he plays. If he is available, you might see him playing in place of Anukul Roy,” he added.
Make Cameron Green bat at No. 3, says Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra advised the KKR management to promote Cameron Green to No. 3 in the batting order. The Australian all-rounder has batted at No. 3 in two games and No. 4 in the other two. He has only aggregated 56 runs at an average of 18.67 and a strike rate of 147.37. The 26-year-old did spend some time in the middle in the last game, and that could have given him some confidence after a dismal start to the season.
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“The rest of the team is the same that played the last match, in which I feel Rovman Powell needs to play. I have just one suggestion. You are giving Cameron Green nearly ₹2 crore, ₹1.8 crore to be precise, per match. So make him bat slightly up the order,” he said.
“Make him bat at No. 3 because you are not going to bat Sunil Narine at No. 3. So try batting Cameron Green there because his bat is not striking the ball well down the order as well. That’s what I would suggest,” Chopra observed.
