Kolkata – Sunil Narine has shaken off the stomach bug that sidelined him earlier in the week and is expected to slot straight back into Kolkata Knight Riders’ XI against Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens on Thursday evening.
The off-spinner, already KKR’s leading wicket-taker in the league, was back in the nets on Tuesday. A team spokesperson confirmed that he had been dealing with an “abdominal issue” but is now cleared to play. His comeback is timely for a bowling unit stretched by injuries and intermittent player availability.
Varun Chakravarthy, however, remains doubtful. The leg-spinner injured his left hand while fielding against Sunrisers Hyderabad last week and watched Monday’s rain-ruined match against Punjab Kings from the dug-out with heavy strapping. He turned up for training on Wednesday with the same taping and, according to back-room staff, there is still “no timeline” for his return.
KKR have been forced to improvise. Against Punjab, left-arm spinner Anukul Roy carried the slow-bowling load on his own – the first time since 2019 that Kolkata had taken the field without either Narine or Varun. Captain Shreyas Iyer admitted after the wash-out that the balance looked “a bit thin”, particularly after powerplay overs when the surface usually slows.
There could be further relief in the pace department. All-rounder Cameron Green has been bowling flat-out in practice and, barring any late advice from Cricket Australia, is likely to offer four overs from this match onward. KKR and CA have monitored the Australian’s workload carefully; the franchise is keen not to over-use him so soon after a long home summer.
Three matches into the campaign, Knight Riders have only a solitary point – the product of that abandoned game – after opening defeats to Hyderabad and Rajasthan. Narine’s return should add control through the middle overs; whether it is enough to kick-start their season may hinge on Varun’s fitness and a batting line-up that has yet to find its tempo.
For now, Kolkata’s equation is simple: get their senior spinners back, use Green wisely, and start stacking wins before the table moves out of reach.
