Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) suffered a major setback ahead of IPL 2026 with key pacers Matheesha Pathirana and Harshit Rana struggling with injuries.Head coach Abhishek Nayar confirmed during the team’s pre-season press conference that Pathirana will miss the initial phase of the tournament due to a calf strain and is not expected to return until around mid-April. Rana’s injury has further complicated KKR’s pace bowling plans, with the team still evaluating replacements.
Bravo supports India’s fast bowling depth
Despite the setbacks, KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo struck an optimistic note and highlighted the growing number of fast bowlers in India.“In any tournament with any team, once you lose some of the key bowling options, those are things you plan for, but also things you have to accept. The good thing about Indian cricket, especially at the moment, is that there’s a lot of depth,” Bravo Said“So there are some guys, as the coach mentioned, that we are definitely looking at to fill the spot – like Umran Malik. These guys are also players who have represented the national team at some point and have also played in the IPL before. They are young, exciting talents. So for me personally, I am happy to work with this group of fast bowlers,” he added.A powerful spin attack offers balanceWhile the pace attack faces challenges, Bravo expressed strong confidence in KKR’s spin department, led by Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy.“We’ve got the best spin attack in the competition so from a bowling perspective I think we’ll be fine. I also can’t forget Vaibhav – what a fantastic season last year. He’s also been the leader of the attack for the last two seasons. So yes, we’ve lost some key players but I feel comfortable (said) we’ve got what it takes to replace them,” Bravo.KKR also have other pace options in Akash Deep and Kartik Tyagi, giving them flexibility despite injuries.
IPL 2026 KKR Early Schedule
KKR will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Mumbai Indians on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium.Their upcoming preparations include:vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – April 2 (Eden Gardens)vs. Punjab Kings – April 6 (Eden Gardens)vs Lucknow Super Giants – April 9 (Eden Gardens)
