Ravichandran Ashwin shared his honest views on the bowling attack of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of IPL 2026, with the new season set to begin on March 28.
KKR are facing problems with their bowling before IPL 2026. Mustafizur Rahman was released after instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India due to political tensions between India and Bangladesh. After that, more issues followed as Matheesha Pathirana is injured and still not cleared to play, while Harshit Rana and Akash Deep have been ruled out of the entire tournament.
Because of this, the bowling now looks weak and the team will need new players. They have signed Blessing Muzarabani as a replacement for Pathirana, but they still need good replacements for Harshit Rana and Akash Deep.
Speaking on his youtube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin feels that KKR bowling attack may no longer trouble opposition teams in IPL 2026. He believes the element of surprise and fear has reduced, making it easier for batters to attack.
“I don’t think oppositions will be worried after looking at KKR’s bowling attack. I think the mystery factory, the novelty factor, and the fear, that particular facet, would have gone,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
With all the injuries in the bowling unit and Varun Chakravarthy conceding runs at a high economy rate despite taking 14 wickets in the T20 World Cup 2026, the Kolkata Knight Riders bowling attack now looks weak and less threatening.
“Varun is at a stage in his career, where he has to find answers. But it is natural for every cricketer’s progress and his career. I think the novelty factor is out,” he added.
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Although Kolkata Knight Riders have more strong and experienced options in their batting compared to bowling, they still need to find solutions to fix their bowling issues. Another big question is how many overs Cameron Green will be able to bowl. KKR spent INR 25.20 crore on him for his all round abilities, but if he is not able to bowl regularly due to the injury he suffered in 2025, it could create more problems for their bowling attack.
KKR will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 29 against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium.
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