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Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin believes that Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana can’t be expected to turn things around immediately for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) who are yet to win a game in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Instead, Ashwin recalled the 2021 edition of the IPL when an uncapped Venkatesh Iyer opened for them and staged a turnaround. The Eoin Morgan-led KKR ended up reaching the final. Ashwin also named two players in the KKR squad who can make an impact like Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain. The legendary off-spinner wants Ajinkya Rahane to hand debut caps to wicketkeeper-batter Tejasvi Dahiya and left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey.
"You can’t expect Pathirana to come into the tournament and turn things around immediately. But remember one thing: a few years ago, in 2021, KKR were down in the dumps. The tournament had to be restarted, and they came back, won consistently, and got on a roll. Everything changed. And what turned it around for them? Fresh energy from someone like Venkatesh Iyer,” Ashwin said on Star Sports after KKR’s 32-run loss to his former team Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
“They do have players like Tejasvi Dahiya in the dugout, and Saurabh Dubey, the left-arm quick. There is some freshness in the squad, so maybe someone like that coming in and reinforcing the team could reinvigorate their chances. But it’s not going to be easy for KKR this year," he added.
Who are Tejasvi Dahiya and Saurabh Dubey?
Dahiya is a 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Delhi. In the previous edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), he scored 113 runs from just four innings at an average of 56.60 and strike rate of 168.65. He bats in the middle order. Earlier, he was the second-highest six-hitter in Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025. Alo, his strike rate was nearly 200. He was roped in by KKR for Rs 3 crore in the auction.
Dubey is a left-arm pacer from Vidarbha who is six feet and five inches tall. He was KKR's net bowler and was later picked as an injured Akash Deep's replacement. Earlier, he was picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) but didn't make his debut. He has had bouts with back injury. In SMAT 2023, he remained wicketless in three games.
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