Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) slumped to consecutive defeats after their clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday, April 2, at the Eden Gardens. Their fans would be getting nightmares from last season if the team continues to flounder in the games to come.
After losing their opening encounter against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, the Ajinkya Rahane-led side would have hoped to bank on home advantage and get the better of the Orange Army. However, Ishan Kishan and Co. handed them a proper thrashing in the City of Joy, much to the chagrin of the passionate home fans.
Sunrisers Hyderabad smashed 226/8 in their 20 overs before dismissing the Knights for just 161. After this lopsided clash, Ravichandran Ashwin opined that the Kolkata-based franchise will have a lot of problems throughout the season. The former Indian off-spinner mentioned that the bowling department looks quite concerning for the Knights, as no bowler has made a mark thus far.
“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 who 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,” he said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.
Ashwin also urged Varun Chakaravarthy to go back to the drawing board and rediscover his form ahead of the matches to come. The mystery spinner 79 runs in six overs across the two games and failed to pick up a wicket.
“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. He has to increase his hand speed and try all this in the nets. You cannot just go to the nets and do spot bowling on your own. 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,” he explained.
Ashwin feels KKR is not ready
Ashwin opined that Sunil Narine is the only bowler who seems capable of bowling his full quota of four overs, but mentioned that the Caribbean spinner is far from his best. The former India off-spinner said that the three-time champions don’t look ready in IPL 2026.
Ex-RCB batter predicts three teams to struggle in IPL 2026
“It feels like Sunil Narine is the only bowler who can bowl full four overs. But he is also not at his best. KKR, as I mentioned in the preview as well, does not seem ready this season,” he said.
