Why did Varun Chakravarthy & Sunil Narine miss KKR vs PBKS clash in IPL 2026?
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Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine are key spinners for KKR in IPL 2026.
Eyeing their first victory, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are clashing with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in match 12 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The KKR vs PBKS match is taking place at Eden Gardens Stadium on April 6.
KKR have lost both of their games in IPL 2026 against Mumbai Indians (MI) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Hence, they are under a lot of pressure and would be desperate to win against Punjab Kings. On the other hand, PBKS have won both of their matches against Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings.
In match 12, Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bat first. At the toss, he revealed that spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine are not part of the game, which came as a surprise for many.
Why are Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine not playing KKR vs PBKS match?
At the toss, Rahane revealed that Chakarvarthy got injured in the previous game while taking a catch and was not fit to play against PBKS. He also added that Narine is sick, adding that Rovman Powell and Navdeep Saini were picked as replacements.
“We are going to bat first. Looks a good wicket, little bit on the drier side but it’s a very good wicket and slightly less covering of grass as well. That’s the reason to put the runs on the board first. Two changes, forced changes. Varun Chakaravarthy unfortunately got injured taking a catch in the last game and Sunil Narine is sick. Powell and Saini are in,” Rahane said.
Chakravarthy could not make a mark in both the previous games as he failed to get a single wicket. He was also too expensive in the opening game against MI. Narine picked one wicket in the opening clash but went wicketless in the previous game against SRH.
Meanwhile, KKR currently take the ninth spot in the points table with. They are followed by Chennai Super Kings, who have lost all three of their matches.
Why is Varun Chakravarthy not part of KKR vs PBKS clash?
He missed the game due to an injury.
Why is Sunil Narine not part of KKR vs PBKS clash?
Narine missed the match as he is sick.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.