Kolkata Knight Riders will look to steady their early-season plans when they take on Lucknow Super Giants on Thursday, with Sunil Narine set to return to the XI after recovering from the illness that ruled him out of Monday’s washed-out match against Punjab Kings. Narine, KKR’s leading wicket-taker in the IPL, missed the abandoned contest, but is now expected to be available for the clash, giving the team a major boost in a department that has been stretched thin.
There is, however, still uncertainty around Varun Chakravarthy. The left-arm spinner remains a doubt because of a left-hand injury that also kept him out of the Punjab Kings fixture. Varun was seen in the dugout during that game with his left hand taped, and he arrived at Eden Gardens on Wednesday in a similar condition for training. KKR have not yet put a clear timeline on his return, following the injury he suffered while fielding against Sunrisers Hyderabad last week.
KKR’s management had indicated that Narine was dealing with an “abdominal issue” on the eve of the PBKS match. Monday marked the first time since IPL 2019 that the franchise went into a game without both of its spin options in the playing XI.
Narine had resumed practice on Tuesday, and his availability is expected to strengthen a bowling unit that has been hit by injuries and other player unavailability. In the match against PBKS, KKR managed with limited spin options, with left-arm spinner Anukul Roy serving as the lone spinner in their side.
Along with Narine’s comeback, KKR are also likely to get Cameron Green into their bowling mix from Thursday onwards, with his services expected for the remainder of IPL 2026. Green has been involved in KKR’s training sessions and has bowled there, but he has not yet delivered overs in the tournament itself, as the franchise has been coordinating his bowling workload management with Cricket Australia.
Coming into the contest, KKR have just one point from three matches. Their campaign began with back-to-back defeats, before the washout against Punjab Kings handed them a single point after the game was abandoned.
