India, March 21 -- Through no fault of their own, Kolkata Knight Riders have seen their bowling ranks fall apart in the weeks leading up to the start of the IPL 2026 campaign. After Mustafizur Rahman was forced into being released due to communal tensions in Bangladesh, more bowlers have followed in his wake - Matheesha Pathirana injured and still not cleared by the SLC, while Harshit Rana and Akash Deep have both been ruled out from the entirety of IPL 2026.

Suddenly, KKR's bowling ranks look extremely thin, concerning coach Abhishek Nayar. While Blessing Muzarabani has been brought in as a replacement and further trials are taking place, the burden of responsibility grows heavier on the experienced spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Ch...