NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders handed a surprise inclusion in the squad to left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey after star spinner Varun Chakravarthy was ruled out of their crucial IPL 2026 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Wednesday.Current score: RCB vs KKR, IPL 2026The 28-year-old, a relatively unknown face in IPL circles, was named among KKR’s substitutes and came into the limelight after skipper Ajinkya Rahane confirmed Varun’s absence due to a niggle at the toss.RCB won the toss and opted to bat first in a must-win game for KKR as the visitors chase a late playoff run.
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Cameron Green backs KKR’s playoff push, praises team culture and Finn AllenThe inclusion of surprises in crunch clashRahane said KKR have found a rhythm in recent games and kept their approach simple despite the pressure.“Unfortunately, Varun Chakravarthy misses out with a nipple injury. Saurabh Dubey comes in his place,” Rahane said at the toss.Before the toss, Dubey was seen receiving congratulations from teammates, while Varun was spotted limping during the warm-up, confirming concerns about his fitness.The move was unexpected given that Varun has been central to KKR’s revival, but the franchise has now reposed faith in the rookie at a critical stage of the season.
Who is Saurabh Dubey?
Born in Wardha (Maharashtra), Dubey is a left-arm medium pacer who bats right-handed. He represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket and has quietly built his career on the domestic circuit.So far he has appeared in eight List A matches and three domestic T20s. While he is yet to take a wicket in T20 cricket, he has picked up 16 wickets in the 50-over format.His selection for the high-pressure game marks a big step in his career.SRH message before KKR chanceDubey was earlier part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad setup.He was bought in the auction before the 2022 season but never got a game during his tenure and was released before the following campaign.KKR’s decision has now earned him a long-awaited IPL debut.With KKR fighting to stay alive in the play-off race, Dubey’s debut comes under intense scrutiny – a little-known domestic pacer suddenly tasked with filling the void left by one of the side’s most influential players.RCB vs KKR TEAMS:Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Ajinkya Rahane(c), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik TyagiKKR Impact Subs: Saurabh Dubey, Ramandeep Singh, Tejasvi Dahiya, Navdeep Saini, Tim SeifertRoyal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam Dar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood.RCB Impact Subs: Devdutt Padikkal, Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Romario Shepherd, Swapnil Singh
