A storm lashed Eden Gardens just as Kolkata Knight Riders wrapped up their training on Wednesday, followed by a downpour as the groundsmen rushed to cover the entire field. Inclement weather is expected to last at least till Thursday afternoon, which would mean the Eden pitch too will be under covers hours before the Knight Riders take on Lucknow Super Giants.
The Knights would be focused on the tasks on hand as they look for their first win of IPL 2026 — they only have one point from three games yet. Their opponents, the Super Giants, haven’t yet played exceptional cricket, but should be in a better space of mind coming off a win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Besides, two of their key players — captain Rishabh Pant and lead pacer Mohammed Shami — have flow and rhythm on their side too. Given the conditions at the Eden, the Super Giants’ opening duo of Aiden Markram and Mitch Marsh could also be tested. But does the Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowling group possess the ammunition to trouble them?
The actual concern for the Knights is their bowling, especially their pace attack which is short on both experience and credentials. All-rounder Cameron Green of Australia has been bowling a fair bit at nets lately, and if he can bowl a couple of overs or so on Thursday, that may just be a bit of a boost for the home team.
To talk of their spinners, Sunil Narine has recovered from an abdominal pain that kept him out of the Punjab Kings game that was eventually abandoned. The off-spinner bowled at the nets on Thursday also. As for Varun Chakravarthy, who too was not a part of the XI in the last game following an injury in the match against the Sunrisers, his little finger of the left hand was strapped.
Narine, it appears, stands a chance of returning to the XI, while fingers remain crossed over Varun’s availability. What will also be interesting to see is what captain Ajinkya Rahane decides to do if he wins the toss on Thursday. His decision to bat first against the Kings on a pitch that had been under covers for two nights had surprised many on Monday.
However, for some of the KKR youngsters, particularly pacer Kartik Tyagi, words of motivation from mentor Dwayne Bravo and principal owner Shah Rukh Khan in the dressing room on Monday night, is a much-needed push. That push is what the Knight Riders are in dire need of.