Indian Premier League | IPL 2026 introduces ball change after tenth over
No excuses, we take what’s in front, says KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar
Kolkata, April 1: Having started their IPL season on an ominous note, former champions Kolkata Knight Riders returned to the familiar home territory expecting favourable conditions, but early signs suggest the surfaces at the Eden Gardens may not entirely align with their preferences.
While there was no outright criticism, the body language of the KKR think-tank and the guarded response from head coach Abhishek Nayar hinted at a degree of unease, even as he firmly shut the door on using conditions as an excuse.
Repeatedly quizzed about the pitch on the eve of their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Nayar chose his words carefully, even joking that he might get “siphoned off for something else” by the anti-corruption unit, but his messaging remained consistent – KKR will deal with what is on offer without any “excuses”.
“I think the beauty of our sport is the fact that it is unpredictable. When you’re explaining cricket to someone who doesn’t know the game, you tell them that if the sun is out, the pitch is good; if the clouds are in, the bowlers are in. That’s the beauty of the game – you want the unexpected,” Nayar said.
KKR, in their title defence, had finished eighth last season – their worst since 2009 – losing four of their seven matches and winning just twice at Eden as it had raised questions around conditions that seemingly did not suit their spin strengths.
Those concerns appear to persist despite a complete overhaul in coaching staff and squad.
On the eve of their first home game, skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Nayar spent considerable time inspecting the pitch alongside curator Sujan Mukherjee, with Rahane even lying down to assess the surface.
The pitch, later watered and lightly rolled, had a greenish tinge adding to the uncertainty.
“Just because there’s grass on the pitch, it doesn’t change how we look at the game. We as players and support staff have to be professional enough to take what’s put in front of us and run with it. Those are circumstances – sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.”
Just before his media interaction, SRH head coach Daniel Vettori said he was surprised to see a green cover and expected not much of turn for the spinners.
But Nayar, in a guarded tone, said he was not surprised and blamed the unseasonal rains for the greentop.
“Am I surprised? I’m not, because there has been rain around over the last couple of days. It’s not easy for the groundsmen as well. So whatever is prepared for us, we’ll try to make the most of it. We’ll try to play the kind of cricket we can without any excuses. At the end of it, our honest judgement is that whatever we get, we try and put our best foot forward. No excuses.”
Last season, KKR’s inability to get surfaces suited to their spin strengths had become a talking point, and the issue appears far from settled.
Nayar backs Varun
Nayar has thrown his weight firmly behind mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, insisting it is “inevitable” that the out-of-form mystery spinner will rediscover his touch despite a string of under whelming outings.
Chakravarthy’s recent struggles have become a talking point, but Nayar maintained that the wrist spinner remains mentally strong and capable of overcoming yet another challenging phase in his career. “Over the years, he’s gone through a lot of adversity. As a franchise, as a support staff, we back him. I don’t think there’s any issue,” Nayar said. (PTI)
