Abhishek Nair makes strong comment on Ajinkya Rahane, Cameron Green after KKR’s loss to MI

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Abhishek Nair has given a fiery message to his troops amid the Ajinkya Rahane-Cameron Green episode after the team’s crushing defeat to Mumbai Indians (MI) in the first match of IPL 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29.

Despite KKR scoring 220/4 thanks to Rahane’s fluent 67 and young Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s blistering 51 on debut, the bowling unit completely faltered as they had no answer to the attack from the Mumbai Indians openers. The defeat also led to drama over Green not bowling against MI.

MI breaks 14-year curse with brutal chase against KKR

Mumbai Indians finally broke their opening match curse after 14 years by chasing a mammoth target of 221 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders. Rohit Sharma played a stormy innings of 78 runs in 38 balls, while Ryan Rickelton scored 81 runs in 43 balls. Their partnership of 148 runs in 11.5 overs completely shattered KKR’s confidence.

Also read: Will Cameron Green be fined for not bowling? Former KKR star strongly criticized the all-rounder and Cricket Australia

The two teams will face each other again at the Eden Gardens later this season, but for now KKR are focused on their first home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 2. Ahead of this important game at the Eden Gardens, where both the teams will be aiming to make a comeback, Abhishek has given a powerful message for Rahane, Green and the entire team.

Abhishek Nair left a scathing message after MI’s defeat

Nair reminded his KKR team that the IPL is a long journey, and he highlighted several moments where the team showed spirit despite the difficult conditions at the Wankhede.

He talked about how Rahane and Finn Allen gave a strong start, how Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh and Ramandeep Singh took the score forward and how the team fought hard even under immense pressure.

“I saw glimpses of what this team is capable of. Be proud of myself because I am. I’m really happy with the fight we showed. I’ve always believed that this tournament is a marathon. It’s not a sprint,” Abhishek Nair said in a KKR video.

“For me, really, there were a lot of things that we did really well. We all know it is never easy starting from Wankhede and playing in Mumbai. I thought we were excellent with the bat. So, there is a lot to be proud of.”

Nair defends KKR bowlers amid massive protests

Despite heavy criticism, the KKR head coach praised his bowlers, including Kartik Tyagi’s comeback after a no-ball setback and encouraging spells from Vaibhav Arora and Blessing Muzarabani.

“I know there were a lot of questions about our bowling unit and what this team is going to do. But I’m really happy with the fight we showed, even with the unity we had inside,” Nair said.

We learn our lessons in Kolkata and come back stronger!

Listen what head coach Abhishek Nair said after this #MIvKKR pic.twitter.com/K2mKamSIpg

– KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) 30 March 2026

Giving a strong message to the Men in Purple and Gold, Abhishek Nair told the players that the MI defeat will only boost their comeback and not break their confidence. With the big game against SRH coming up, he focused on working hard to come back stronger.

Abhishek Nair signed off by saying, “We worked really hard to create something special. When we go back to Kolkata, we are back to the drawing board. We will work hard again and plan better with the next team.”

Also Read: ‘Rohit Sharma will worry all IPL teams’ – Former RCB captain issues warning to CSK and others