Kolkata Knight Riders’ success in the 2026 Indian Premier League season could depend on the type of pitches they prepare at Eden Gardens, according to Faf du Plessis.
The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain told ESPNcricinfo that KKR need to maximize the impact of their front spinners by adapting surfaces that suit them.
Du Plessis pointed to Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy and described them as match winners who can dominate in favorable conditions.
“If I were part of the management of the KKR team, I would ask the groundsman at Eden Gardens to make the wicket spin-friendly. KKR are blessed to have two absolute cannons in Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine. They are two of the best T20 spinners in the game right now. Both Varun and Narine have to be on. If they don’t play on their surfaces, they lose two. superpower Yes, they can bowl well at any wicket and have problems but for this IPL to be successful, Varun and Narine have to fire with these two players in mind,” said du Plessis on Hotstar’s game plan.
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KKR’S WRITE WITH PARADISE PITCH
KKR struggled on their home conditions last season, winning just two matches at the Eden Gardens. After initially playing on slow tracks, the franchise reportedly requested batting-friendly surfaces from the Cricket Association of Bengal. Although the venue later produced high-scoring matches, results did not improve significantly for the home side.
If KKR opt for spin-friendly tracks this season, their batting combination will also come under scrutiny. There are a few pace hitters in the lineup like Finn Allen, Tim Seifert and Cameron Green who usually thrive on truer surfaces.
Meanwhile, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and skipper Ajinkya Rahane provide technical stability but can get bogged down during the middle overs. Former Indian bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji has suggested that Rahane move up the order to maximize his effectiveness.
“I always feel that KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane should bat in the top order. He shouldn’t bat anything lower than number three. He did phenomenally well at number three with CSK and scored a lot of runs. So him batting one down would be good for both him and KKR. Cameron Green can bat at number four. That will give him time to settle down, Tim of four will start. Seifert, Ajinkya Rahane and Cameron Green will be the ones to go into the game,” he said.
KKR begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium before hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first home match.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
18 March 2026 20:24 IST
