IPL 2026: Manoj Tiwary slams KKR for sending Anukul Roy ahead of Rinku Singh in loss vs GT, says 'he was heartbroken'

Kolkata Knight Riders failed again to claim their maiden win in the IPL 2026, as they lost to Gujarat Titans by five wickets on Friday, April 17 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has lambasted KKR's management for taking non-sense decisions at key moments of the game.

Manoj Tiwary lambasts KKR

Batting first, KKR endured a top-order collapse before Cameron Green steadied the innings with 79 off 55 balls, consisting of seven fours and four sixes. However Rinku Singh's batting position shocked everyone, as Anukul Roy was sent in ahead of him at No.7.

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In an interaction with Cricbuzz, Manoj Tiwary slammed KKR for sending Anukul Roy ahead of Rinku Singh, saying that during a poor run, it is crucial to back key players, but the management is doing the exact opposite.

Manoj Tiwary said that by sending Anukul KKR made it clear that they don't have faith in Rinku's abilities, as someone with sound mind would send the left-handed batter up in the order.

"You changed the entire batting order. You sent Anukul Roy higher up. You just sent Rinku Singh an indirect signal that you don't have any faith in him. Whoever is thinking in their right mind would send Rinku higher up, as he has been your asset for such a long time,"

Tiwary further added that Rinku was heartbroken after getting out and KKR would continue to play badly like this if they further take these kinds of decisions on the pitch.

“Just look at Rinku, when he came back after getting out. He was completely heartbroken. He knew, deep inside, that it shouldn't have happened to him. When you had to build his confidence, you did the exact opposite by sending Rinku down the order. If KKR continue playing like this, they will remain at the bottom,” he added.

Rinku Singh's IPL 2026 performance

Rinku Singh has failed to kick off the tournament on a positive start, trying to find form with the bat. In five innings, he has scored only 79 runs with his best score of 35 came against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Rinku Singh is a crucial player for the Kolkata-based franchise and it becomes very important to score some big runs in the later stages of the tournament.

KKR's next challenge

Currently, the Kolkata-based franchise is reeling at the bottom of the points table with only one point in hand after failing to secure a single win in six matches. The only point came because of a washed out game against Punjab Kings.

KKR will face Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their upcoming fixture on Sunday, April 19 at the Eden Garden in Kolkata.