Kolkata Knight Riders face the challenge of bouncing back in the 2026 IPL after last season's failure. KKR's coaching staff has undergone complete changes. They have released star cricketers like Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer. KKR wants to rebuild the team afresh under head coach Abhishek Nayar. However, discussions are ongoing among cricket fans about who will be Kolkata's match-winner in Russell's absence. Team star cricketer Sunil Narine has spoken about this. He revealed that neither Rinku Singh nor Varun Chakravarthy, but Jammu and Kashmir pacer Umran Malik could be KKR's X-factor.
Sunil Narine is currently playing for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20. He shared this in an interview with PTI during a match. Narine acknowledged that Andre Russell's absence cannot be filled, but he is placing his trust in Umran Malik.
This pacer could not play a single match for KKR last season due to injury. However, he has now returned to domestic cricket after recovering from his injury. Along with the Ranji Trophy, he is now making his mark in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well. Therefore, if he stays fit, Umran could become KKR's big weapon in the upcoming season, Narine stated.
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The Caribbean spinner said, 'Umran is a great bowler. The IPL is played on small grounds and good pitches. So every team needs a player who can become an X-factor. I think Umran will perform well. He joined the team after recovering from injury towards the end of last season. I hope he stays fit this season. I'm looking forward to seeing 145-150 kmph deliveries.'
VIDEO | Mystery spinner Sunil Narine, who has been retained by KKR and set for his 15th season in the IPL, speaks to PTI Video exclusively on the sidelines of ILT20 in Dubai. He represents Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20 UAE franchise league.
He said, "He (Umran Malik) is… pic.twitter.com/AI78yWc2X2
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 5, 2025
However, Narine acknowledged that filling Russell's void is difficult. He said that with Russell around, no matter how big the target, there was always hope of winning the match. Therefore, Kolkata is now focusing on finding the right combination and organizing the team before the upcoming IPL.
