Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) horrendous run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 continued as they suffered a comprehensive 32-run defeat at the hands of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 14. As KKR got nowhere near the target of 193, skipper Ajinkya Rahane assured that there will be a discussion in the dressing room which will lead to some changes.
“I think combination-wise, we thought, the combination which we had last game and this was really good. I think it's tough at the moment. Yes, we're not winning matches, it's tough. What is important for all of us as a group to stay positive, keep our head up, keep our chin up, just focus on the moment,” Rahane said in the post-match presentation.
“Yes, we'll have to sit in the dressing room, think about the combinations. We'll have to make any changes. Sometimes you back the players, if the results are going your way, then it's okay. But if the results are not going your way, then you'll have to think about the combination. But apart from that, I thought it's all about being positive and keep our heads up,” he added.
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Green, Allen to be dropped?
Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana is likely to be available for the next game against Gujarat Titans (GT) to bolster the pace attack. Meanwhile, KKR’s batting has been a major issue. Rahane’s strike rate has come under the scanner as well.
KKR's Rs 25.20 crore recruit Cameron Green has struggled, managing to score just 56 runs from five games. He was dismissed for a golden duck by CSK's Noor Ahmad after coming to bat at no.6. Earlier, there were discussions around why isn’t he bowling. Since he got the clearance to bowl, he has managed to take just one wicket and conceded runs at 14.50 runs per over, adding to KKR’s list of woes.
The question is who replaces Green in the side? KKR can bring in Rachin Ravindra or Tim Seifert in the side. Also, they may drop an underperforming Finn Allen to accommodate Pathirana as well. Both Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi are capable of opening the innings. Against CSK, KKR tried their old trick of opening with Sunil Narine as well which worked to some extent.