Sunil Narine in action for KKR (Source: AFP Photos)
KKR’s IPL 2026 campaign turned from bad to worse on Monday when Sunil Narine was unavailable due to an injury in their high-octane clash against Punjab Kings.
Captain Ajinkya Rahane gave the news when the toss took place for the KKR vs PBKS IPL 2026 toss. However, he did not tell the broadcasters what exactly happened to him.
Given the fact that KKR don’t have Matheesha Pathirana, Mustafizur Rahman, Harshit Rana and Akash Deep for IPL 2026 due to multiple reasons, the absence of Sunil Narine, coupled with Varun Chakaravarthy’s injury concerns, made KKR’s bowling attack look like a blade with no sharpness.
What Happened To Sunil Narine?
The KKR vs PBKS match was abandoned due to relentless rain at Eden Gardens, and therefore, the Knight Riders opened their account in IPL 2026. However, the troubling Sunil Narine injury left them in shock, as there was no clarity on when exactly he would return, if at all.
With KKR set to face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Thursday in Match 15 of IPL 2026, the Cricbuzz revealed what exactly happened to Narine. It was reported that Narine had some abdominal pain before the KKR vs PBKS game, which ruled him out of the match.
Also Read: When Was The Last Time KKR Played Without Sunil Narine And Varun Chakaravarthy?
However, he trained yesterday with the team, and recovered well. Moreover, the West Indian should be in KKR’s playing XI vs LSG, as the report added he looks fit on the field during training sessions.
The Significance Of Sunil Narine At KKR
To keep it short about what Narine brings to the table, the veteran is the only player in the history of IPL who has won the MVP award not once or twice, but thrice. He won the prestigious award in 2012, 2018, and 2024, of which KKR won the championship twice.
Narine joined KKR ahead of IPL 2012. Since then, he has played 191 matches in the competition, picking up 193 wickets at an extremely impressive economy rate of 6.82.
More than that, Sunil Narine was superb with the bat in hand under Shreyas Iyer and Gautam Gambhir’s leadership during IPL 2024. There, he returned to open the innings alongside Phil Salt, and made 488 runs at an explosive strike rate of 180.74.
How Have KKR Fared In IPL 2026?
KKR have been extremely poor this season, having lost their first two matches comprehensively. Mumbai Indians (MI) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) gave them a reality check, and they were lucky to get a point against Punjab Kings, having stumbled at 25/2 after 3.4 overs against Shreyas Iyer and his boys.
At this point, KKR are placed eighth on the IPL 2026 points table, just above Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. While the Titans, led by Shubman Gill, have lost two in two matches, CSK, under Ruturaj Gaikwad, have lost three out of three.
Also Read: Cameron Green Handed New Responsibility By KKR For LSG Match
