Kolkata, March 20 -- The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Dwayne Bravo remained optimistic despite the franchise facing a major setback as key bowlers Matheesha Pathirana and Harshit Rana are injured ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Bravo pointed to India's strong fast-bowling depth, including the likes of Vaibhav Arora and Umran Malik, as well as the team's spin options, as reasons they can manage without their key pacers, according to EPNcricinfo.

Speaking at KKR's pre-season press conference, head coach Abhishek Nayar confirmed that Pathirana is set to miss the early stages of the IPL as he will be available only from mid-April, owing to a calf strain. He also noted key pacer Harshit Rana's injury and that KKR i...