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Kolkata Knight Riders
Despite overhauling their squad after a disappointing title defence in 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders have retained faith in skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who said on Friday he is embracing the responsibility with calmness and positivity. Rahane, who topped KKR's scoring charts last season with 390 runs, could not prevent the team from finishing eighth with just five wins in 14 matches (two abandoned). But the veteran insisted that pressure is nothing new, and he is focused on approaching challenges with the right mindset. "Every year, there are different challenges as a player and also as a captain. What I learned throughout my journey is be positive each and every time, whatever challenges are there," the 37-year-old said during KKR's first media interaction of the season. "I've been leading the team since last year and really grateful to the franchise that they gave me this responsibility to lead the team. Taking everything in my stride, taking everything in a positive way. There are alw
Kolkata Knight Riders received a timely boost on Thursday when Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed that their star recruit Matheesha Pathirana is "fit and ready to join the IPL", easing concerns over the franchise's depleted pace resources ahead of the new season. Amid speculation over the slinger's availability, Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Bandula Dissanayake told PTI that the pacer has completed his rehabilitation and has been granted the necessary clearance. "As far as I know, he's fit and we have given him NOC to participate in the IPL, that's all I know at this point of time," Dissanayake said. "He has completed rehab and he is fit. But the franchise will be tasked to assess his readiness. At the moment we don't know anything about that. As far as we know he is fit and ready to join IPL." However, there is still no confirmation on when Pathirana will link up with the squad which will leave for Mumbai on March 25 to for their opening match against Mumbai Indians on March 29. They next
Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders have on their radar former Chennai Super Kings pace duo Simarjeet Singh and KM Asif, along with veteran Sandeep Warrier, to fill the void left by the injured Harshit Rana in the upcoming Indian Premier League. KKR's pace resources have been hit hard by Rana's ligament strain in the right knee, sustained during India's T20 World Cup warm-up against South Africa. The pacer has undergone surgery and is currently in rehabilitation with no fixed timeline for his return. Keeping Rana's absence in mind, the KKR think tank is exploring other options. Simarjeet, who has played for CSK (2022, 2024) and Sunrisers Hyderabad, has 11 wickets from 14 IPL games. A tall quick capable of hitting 140kph-plus and delivering sharp yorkers, he impressed with nine wickets in 10 matches for CSK in 2022 but struggled last season for SRH, managing two wickets in four games. Asif and Warrier were called up for trials during KKR's first training session at Eden Gard
Kolkata Knight Riders new head coach Abhishek Nayar on Wednesday termed the arrival of Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani as a "blessing in disguise", as the franchise looks to regroup after a forgettable last season and aim for a fourth IPL title. Addressing the squad during their first training session at the Eden Gardens, Nayar made a pointed reference to the late replacement of Mustafizur Rahman, welcoming Muzarabani into the fold. "Blessing, you are a blessing in disguise for us," the 42-year-old former India all-rounder, who has been a longtime part of KKR set up under Gautam Gambhir, said in his opening pep-talk. Nayar was elevated to head coach ahead of IPL 2026 after KKR parted ways with Chandrakant Pandit following an eighth-place finish last season. Nayar had also recently taken charge of Women's Premier League side UP Warriorz, who finished last in the five-team 2026 season. "I know so far we've sort of folded you in the bus, but it's great to have you, the tallest mem
Kolkata Knight Riders "took the wrong decision" by letting Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt leave after their title-winning campaign in 2024, and unless the three-time IPL champions understand the importance of retaining key players, they cannot be considered serious title contenders, cautioned the legendary Anil Kumble. Iyer exited KKR to join Punjab Kings, whom he led to their first appearance in the IPL final in nearly a decade in the last edition, while Phil Salt -- another vital cog in KKR's success in 2024 -- moved to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he played an impactful role in the franchise's maiden title win last year. "Two years ago, KKR won the IPL and lifted their third trophy. Two important cogs in that wheel were Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt. Both played crucial roles in helping them win but KKR let both of them go," Kumble noted in a JioHotstar release. "There is no consistency from them in terms of player retention. KKR took the wrong decision by letting Shreyas Iyer and
Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday announced the signing of lanky Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani ahead of the Indian Premier League season, with the fast bowler pulling out of the Pakistan Super League, which will run concurrently. The right-arm pacer Muzarabani was among the prominent bowlers in the recently-concluded T20 World Cup, finishing as the joint third-highest wicket-taker with 13 scalps as Zimbabwe made it to the Super Eights stage. "KKR have signed Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani to join the squad for the upcoming Indian Premier League 2026 season," KKR said in a statement. "The 6 ft 8" right-arm quick has emerged as one of Zimbabwe's leading pace bowlers in the shortest format, known for his steep bounce and ability to strike in key phases of the innings." "Muzarabani brings significant T20 experience, having claimed over 90 wickets in more than 80 T20 Internationals at an average of around 21, with best figures of 3/8. His pace and ...