No Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy for KKR vs PBKS (AFP)
Kolkata Knight Riders enter their third game of the ongoing IPL 2026, hoping for a change in fortunes after back-to-back losses so far. However, it is worth noting that the three-time IPL winners will miss the services of the spin duo of Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine against the Punjab Kings at the iconic Eden Gardens on Monday night.
Winning the toss, KKR captain, Ajinkya Rahane, confirmed that Varun Chakaravarthy sustained an injury taking a catch during its 65-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday. On the other hand, Sunil Narine has been ruled out due to illness.
No Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy for KKR vs PBKS
When KKR’s Ajinkya Rahane came for the toss, it was a shock to many Kolkata fans when he announced that their star players, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, would not be part of the playing XI. That’s correct, both Narine and Chakaravarthy are not playing in today’s game.
Also read: Harshit Rana Joins KKR Camp Ahead Of Clash Against Punjab Kings But With A Twist
Rahane said, “ Two forced changes for us. Varun Chakravarty unfortunately got injured while taking the catch in the last game, and Sunil Narine is sick. So, in place of Varun, Navdeep Saini comes in, place of Sunil Rovman Powell comes in.”
Varun and Narine’s places were taken by seamer Navdeep Saini and all-rounder Rovman Powell as KKR surprisingly opted to bat first at Eden Gardens. Anukul Roy is expected to be the team’s lone spinner.
The Last Time KKR Played Without Sunil Narine And Varun Chakaravarthy Both
Notably, the last time KKR played without either Narine or Varun was in 2019. The match played on April 12, 2019, saw Delhi Capitals take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.
Despite valiant efforts by a young Shubman Gill (65) and Andre Russell (45 runs and a wicket), KKR lost the game after Shikhar Dhawan slammed a match-winning 97*, narrowly missing out on his maiden IPL century.
KKR vs PBKS, IPL 2026: Playing 11 for match number 12
KKR Playing XI vs PBKS: Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Navdeep Saini, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi.
PBKS Playing XI vs KKR: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Cooper Connolly, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Ajinkya Rahane-led KKR’s IPL 2026 campaign so far
Kolkata Knight Riders have made a difficult start to their IPL 2026 campaign, losing their opening two matches and sitting near the bottom of the table. Led by Ajinkya Rahane, the team is struggling with form and injury issues, including key absentees in their third match against the Punjab Kings on Monday.
Yet to win a game this season, KKR are hunting for their first points of IPL 2026. On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer-led PBKS can go to the top of the table with a win.
Follow KKR vs PBKS, IPL 2026 match live for thrilling updates and live scores.
