Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has questioned Kolkata Knight Riders\u2019 decision-making after fast bowler Sakib Hussain made a striking impact for Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday. Tiwary pointed to Hussain\u2019s breakthrough performance and argued that KKR did not give the pacer an opportunity, despite him being part of their setup for an extended period.<\/p>\n
Hussain\u2019s IPL debut against Rajasthan Royals turned into a statement of intent. The right-arm quick finished with four wickets, including the important scalp of Yashasvi Jaiswal. His spell helped SRH overpower Rajasthan, with Hyderabad eventually winning the match by 57 runs.<\/p>\n
The performance quickly drew praise from cricket observers and fans alike, with Hussain\u2019s ability to swing the contest under pressure becoming a key talking point immediately after the game.<\/p>\n
Tiwary said that Hussain was available within the KKR squad for years but did not get a chance to play at the highest IPL level. He also highlighted that KKR have released players who later went on to find success elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Hussain had been part of the KKR environment between 2024 and 2025, yet he did not feature in a single match for the franchise during that period. Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, he was released, and Sunrisers Hyderabad acquired him for the base price of Rs 30 lakh.<\/p>\n
In his remarks, Tiwary compared Hussain\u2019s situation with other examples from KKR\u2019s recent history, citing Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer as cases where released players went on to make an impact after leaving the franchise.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI have seen him; he (Sakib) was in the KKR squad for many years, but he wasn\u2019t getting a chance there. We have seen KKR release some good players. If they hadn\u2019t released him, then he wouldn\u2019t have come to the Sunrisers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tiwary also linked the broader match narrative to squad availability. He pointed out that KKR have been dealing with major issues in their pace bowling unit, especially due to injuries and unavailability.<\/p>\n
In Hyderabad\u2019s win, two debutants played decisive roles by taking four wickets each. Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain both delivered standout spells, making their first outings memorable.<\/p>\n
Hinge and Hussain were central to SRH\u2019s strategy, with SRH bringing Hussain in place of domestic and India veterans Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat.<\/p>\n
Tiwary said, \u201cNo one expected two debutants to perform in this way in their very first match. The SRH bowling coaches had confidence in them and those who follow domestic cricket knew their ability.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has questioned Kolkata Knight Riders\u2019 decision-making after fast bowler Sakib Hussain made a striking impact for Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2694,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL News: Manoj Tiwary Questions KKR Over Sakib Hussain","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Manoj Tiwary reacts to KKR\u2019s call as SRH\u2019s Sakib Hussain dazzles on IPL debut\u2014was the pacer overlooked, and what now for the franchise?","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n