India, May 18 -- The Indian Premier League 2026 has reached its decisive phase, where player availability and the fitness of crucial players are of utmost importance for franchises and national teams, given the long international calendar ahead. Amid this, the long-standing feud between the national team setup and franchise cricket continues, with the latest concerns and debates arising over the usage of an Indian national team bowler by Kolkata Knight Riders despite the player dealing with an injury, as KKR bid to make a comeback into the top-four spots with their latest 29-run win against Gujarat Titans on Saturday, May 16, at the iconic Eden Gardens.

Kolkata Knight Riders, who are still alive in the race for a qualification spot with ...