Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag urged the struggling Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to take some bold decisions after a disappointing performance. ipl 2026 The campaign suffered another setback. After a disappointing defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Raipur, Kolkata Knight Riders are now in a tough spot in the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs.
The Ajinkya Rahane-led Kolkata Knight Riders team is returning to its home ground, Eden Gardens in Kolkata, for the first time since April 16, but this time the pressure on the team is very high. They are at 8th position in the table with 9 points from 11 matches so far.
Their recent 6-wicket defeat against RCB badly hit their playoff chances, as KKR failed to defend 193 runs on the tough Raipur surface. The top order failed to deliver aggressive performances, while the bowling attack looked weak without it Varun ChakrabortyWho is currently injured. And this season also has the same story.
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Virender Sehwag wants KKR to drop Rovman Powell and Vaibhav Arora for the rest of the IPL 2026 season
KKR is set to face red-hot Gujarat Titans in their crucial IPL 2026 encounter in Kolkata on Saturday (May 16). Virender Sehwag The three-time champions were suggested to drop Rovman Powell and Vaibhav Arora for this game.
The veteran opening batsman has openly raised questions on Powell’s place in the playing eleven. He believes that Powell has not contributed enough and KKR should now consider other options like Tim Seifert. Sehwag insisted that the New Zealand batsman can play at number three if needed.
“I think he (Rovman Powell) is not making any contribution. So, you can try to play Tim Seifert or even Rahul Tripathi in his place,” Virender Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
Virender Sehwag suggests major changes in KKR’s batting and bowling combination
they also pushed Vaibhav AroraHis performance against RCB was poor as the fast bowler conceded 48 runs in four overs and failed to take a wicket. Sehwag believes that KKR should try out either Umran Malik or Navdeep Saini in the remaining three matches of the tournament.
Sehwag further said, “Vaibhav Arora is not making any significant contribution in bowling, so you can see changes there. I don’t know what kind of form Umran Malik is in; Saini has played a match where he did not do anything special.”
Cricket pundit also believes that KKR can make changes in the batting order. Sehwag said, “It is not necessary that Seifert opens; he can also be played at No. 3. They can consider sending Raghuvanshi at No. 4, or Ajinkya Rahane can come at No. 3; this can also be done.”
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Rohan Gavaskar gives a brutal reality check on KKR’s IPL 2026 playoff prospects
Meanwhile, former KKR cricketer Rohan Gavaskar Admitted that the franchise’s IPL 2026 playoff hopes are now almost out of their hands. He said that even if Kolkata manages to win all its remaining matches, qualification will still largely depend on other results going in their favour.
Gavaskar said during the same discussion, “What can you say to the team at the moment? They haven’t had a good first half. Although they are mathematically still in the race for the playoffs, for practical purposes, their qualification is not in their hands. It would have been better if their matches were against the teams above them. So, here, even if they keep winning, the teams above them may also keep winning, so 15 points may not be enough.”
