NewsWatson | 28 March 2026
KOLKATA – Shane Watson sat down for a fairly relaxed chat at Eden Gardens this week, but the former Australia all-rounder quickly turned serious when the conversation drifted to workloads and last-minute squad reshuffles.
“From a franchise perspective, from the IPL perspective, that’s the shame about there being just so much cricket on,” Watson said, almost shrugging. “And every time in the lead up to the IPL, you’ve really just got your fingers crossed that everything you do, the main auction, the mini auction, that you set everything up to give yourself the best chance with the playing group and obviously the support staff around to be able to help get the best out of them.”
The Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach is dealing with three quick bowlers on the injury list and only a 20-day buffer after the men’s T20 World Cup. Harshit Rana has a knee problem, Akash Deep’s back has flared up, and INR 18-crore signing Matheesha Pathirana remains in Colombo with a calf strain.
“So you know when there’s an ICC event in the lead up to an IPL, for example, that the players – as they should – are putting it all on the line and pushing the limit,” he pointed out. “Even if they’re playing with injuries, they’re going to do it because they want to give themselves a chance of winning a T20 World Cup.”
That willingness, Watson accepts, leaves franchises patching things up once the big tournament dust settles. “So that just means that there’s going to be injuries that are potentially going to play a big part in how your plans change. And just knowing how much international cricket as well is around that just provides a lot of different challenges. But that’s the flexibility you need to be able to have and the quick decisions you have to make to pivot from thinking there are players available. You’ve got to pivot from what you think the make-up of your best XII is going to be.”
Waiting on Pathirana
“With Pathirana, obviously, it’s a waiting game at the moment. We’re being guided by the Sri Lankan cricket board and we are just doing everything we can to get him over here as soon as possible,” Watson clarified, careful not to sound impatient. “We certainly would never, ever push him any earlier than he needs to. Because the last thing that we want as KKR is him playing the first game, trying to come back too early and breaking again. So we just hope that sooner rather than later, he is able to come over here and we can really start the integration process.”
Impact Player doubts
While injuries are largely out of a coach’s control, the tournament rules are not. Watson admitted he is “not a big fan” of the Impact Player regulation, which allows a substitute to bat or bowl full-time. He worries that the tweak encourages teams to pick specialists and, in the long run, might stunt the growth of multi-skilled cricketers India has traditionally produced.
In his words, genuine all-rounders are already “as rare as hens’ teeth”, and reducing their on-field time could nudge youngsters away from that dual role. Data from the first two seasons with the rule backs his concern: seam-bowling all-rounders bowled nearly 30 per cent fewer overs compared with 2023.
Silver lining for locals
The upside, Watson adds, is extra opportunity for uncapped players to state their case. Domestic quicks have stepped straight into the breach; KKR’s net sessions this week featured 20-year-old speedster Vidwath Kaverappa testing senior batters with the new ball. The assistant coach sounded genuinely impressed, though he chose his words carefully, reminding everyone that net form still needs on-field validation.
A crowded calendar, banged-up bowlers, a contentious substitution rule – none of it is ideal. Yet franchises survive by adapting fast, and Watson, despite the furrowed brow, knows the drill. A week from now, when KKR name their first XI, a couple of lesser-known Indians may well front the new-ball duties. If they click, the conversation could shift from who is missing to who has suddenly arrived. That, at least, is the plan.
