नवीनतम
IPL: KKR aim to arrest slide against resurgent GT
AHMEDABAD [Maha Media]: Three-time IPL title-holders Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head into their clash against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Friday knowing they are at a critical juncture in their Indian Premier League 2026 campaign.
For a side that began the season with expectations of contending, the early weeks have instead turned into a test of clarity and character.
Under captain Ajinkya Rahane and head coach Abhishek Nayar, KKR have struggled to find rhythm, managing just one positive result in five outings while suffering four defeats. The bigger concern, however, has been the lack of direction in both planning and execution, something the team will be desperate to correct as the tournament progresses.
Injuries have not helped their cause. The absence of key pacers
Harshit Rana and Akash Deep, along with the enforced release of Mustafizur Rahman, weakened the bowling unit even before the campaign got underway. But from KKR’s point of view, the more worrying trend has been the dip in form of their trusted spin duo, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy.
Chakravarthy, in particular, has endured a difficult start, yet to pick up a wicket while conceding runs at a high rate. For a team that has traditionally relied on spin to control the middle overs, this has disrupted their balance significantly.
There have also been questions around decision-making. From a team perspective, the inconsistency in tactics, whether in team selection or calls at the toss, has hurt momentum. Choices like leaving out players such as Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra, and decisions that did not align with conditions in key matches, have added to the uncertainty.
The season itself began on a challenging note when KKR failed to defend a total of 220 against Mumbai Indians. A heavy defeat at home to Sunrisers Hyderabad further dented confidence, and since then, the side has been searching for stability.
Much of the spotlight has been on Cameron Green, who was brought in as a marquee signing to fill the role left by Andre Russell. While the expectations have been high, his contributions so far have been modest, both with the bat and ball.
The batting order has also been an area of concern. From a team standpoint, finding the right combination and roles has been a work in progress, with a few experiments not delivering the desired results. There is also the question of untapped depth, with experienced names like Manish Pandey and Rahul Tripathi yet to feature, leaving KKR with options they may need to explore.
As they regroup, KKR know that turning the campaign around will require more than just individual performances, it will demand sharper tactical clarity and collective execution. They can draw inspiration from past IPL comebacks, including Mumbai Indians’ remarkable turnaround in 2015 after a slow start.
The head-to-head record slightly favours Gujarat Titans, who lead
3-1, but KKR will be focused less on history and more on finding a way to reset their campaign.
Meanwhile, 2022 IPL champions Gujarat Titans approach the contest from a position of growing confidence. Despite an early setback at home against Rajasthan Royals, they have bounced back strongly with two impressive away wins. Their bowling unit looks settled, with Prasidh Krishna delivering in crucial phases and Rashid Khan regaining rhythm.
With Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler finding form, Gujarat appear to have a more balanced setup heading into the match at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Conditions in Ahmedabad are expected to favour batters once again, with the pitch likely to produce another high-scoring encounter.
Squads:
Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Varun Chakaravarthy, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Tejasvi Dahiya, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep, Blessing Muzarabani, Navdeep Saini, Prashant Solanki, Sarthak Ranjan, Kartik Tyagi, Cameron Green, Saurabh Dubey, Daksh Kamra.
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Glenn Phillips, Jason Holder, Ashok Sharma, Luke Wood, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Tom Banton.
