Why Varun Chakravarthy not playing in KKR vs PBKS?

Kolkata Knight Riders will be desperate to turn their fortunes around as they are facing Punjab Kings in the IPL 2026 clash on Monday, April 6, at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. KKR have endured a tough start to the season, losing both of their opening fixtures, which has left them languishing at ninth place in the points table. On the other hand, Punjab Kings have made a flying start, winning their first two matches and currently sitting fourth in the standings.

Toss Update

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bat first, noting that the wicket looked good with minimal grass covering. His counterpart, Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer, highlighted the strong chemistry he shares with head coach Ricky Ponting, emphasising how their partnership allows youngsters in the squad to play with freedom.

Why are Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine missing?

Kolkata Knight Riders suffered a double setback ahead of their clash against Punjab Kings. Varun Chakravarthy was ruled out after injuring himself while taking a catch in the previous game, while Sunil Narine missed out due to illness. As a result, KKR had to make two changes, bringing in Navdeep Saini and Rovman Powell to strengthen their lineup. On the other hand, Punjab Kings stuck with their winning combination, opting for an unchanged XI.

KKR vs PBKS: What did captains say?

Ajinkya Rahane, KKR captain

We are going to bat first. Looks a good wicket, little bit of the drier side but it’s a very good wicket and slightly less covering of grass as well. It’s all about having that belief and confidence. It’s about winning those small moments. We are confident. Two changes, forced. Varun Chakaravarthy got injured taking the catch in the last game and Narine is sick. Powell and Saini are in.

Shreyas Iyer, PBKS captain

Not at all, I was supposed to bowl as well. So kind of happy with the decision he took. (On working with Ricky Ponting) Our chemistry blossomed right from Delhi Capitals days. And he’s someone who gives all the sort of liberty and freedom to youngsters in the team. And the inspiration that he is himself, he has played brilliant cricket over the years. And we’ve looked upon him as one of the best cricketers in the world. So yeah, working with him, it’s a phenomenal feeling. And under him at the same time at Punjab Kings, we know he’s got a plethora of ideas. So, I personally feel that it’s a blessing in disguise. Same team for us.

KKR vs PBKS: Playing XI

Kolkata Knight Riders

Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Navdeep Saini, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi

Impact Players: Blessing Muzarabani, Manish Pandey, Tejasvi Singh, Rahul Tripathi, Saurabh Dubey

Punjab Kings

Prabhsimran Singh(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Cooper Connolly, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

Impact Players:  Priyansh Arya, Suryansh Shedge, Vishnu Vinod, Pravin Dubey, Harpreet Brar