Kolkata, April 8 (IANS) Struggling three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders have confirmed that Sunil Narine has recovered from his illness and has returned to training ahead of their match against Lucknow Super Giants. Varun Chakravarthy remains uncertain due to a finger injury.
“Sunil became ill on the morning of our match against PBKS, which is why he wasn’t part of the XI. He has felt better since then and trained with the team both yesterday and today. He batted and bowled,” the franchise said in a statement.
KKR also provided an update on Varun, revealing that the mystery spinner injured his left-hand little finger while fielding against Sunrisers Hyderabad. “The medical team has been working closely with him. He bowled his full set at training today. We will know about their participation in tomorrow’s game against LSG at the toss,” the statement added.
Narine’s return is expected to significantly strengthen KKR’s bowling attack, which struggled in their last match against the Punjab Kings. This was the first time since 2019 that the team played without both Narine and Varun. With only Anukul Roy as the main spinner in that game, KKR lacked their usual control during the middle overs.
There is additional good news for the franchise, as Cameron Green is likely to resume bowling duties from the LSG match onward. The all-rounder had been held back so far due to workload management in coordination with Cricket Australia, even though he has been bowling regularly in training sessions.
After managing only one point from three matches, KKR will be hoping the return of key players like Narine and possibly Varun can help revive their campaign and restore much-needed balance to their bowling unit.
Meanwhile, even after a rain-abandoned game, Tyagi stated that the team's determination is strong. “We have it in our minds that we have to win the match. We are quite hungry,” he said before the contest at Eden Gardens. “Our planning is complete. Hopefully, the result goes in our favour.”
Tyagi’s return to form has not been easy. He shared his ongoing struggles with injuries and the major changes he made to his bowling technique. “I faced a lot of problems related to injuries, mainly a shin splint issue that wasn’t getting better,” he explained.
--IANS
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