There is a crazy stat if you're a Kolkata Knight Riders fan, especially after the loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Back in 2012, KKR started their season with two big defeats. That campaign began with an eight-wicket loss to Delhi, followed by a 22-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals. At that time, KKR had a strong batting line-up on paper with Brendon McCullum, Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee and an up-and-coming Sunil Narine in their side.

KKR vs SRH, IPL 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD

Add to this the all-round presence of Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan, and you had a team that was just focused on cricket and not there for the vibes. But two losses meant they needed to act fast—and they did just that. In the games that followed, they made the bold call of dropping McCullum, one of T20 cricket’s finest players, and brought in Manvinder Bisla. This was an era with no impact subs and no option to bring anyone back once dropped.

Rest, as they say, is history. KKR went on a sensational run, winning six out of their next seven games during the middle phase, and then beat CSK to lift the IPL title.Now, the season is just two games old, but the Kolkata side finds itself at a crossroads.

While Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Finn Allen have impressed, the bowling looks weak, and Cameron Green being just a batter has disrupted their combination. The results have seen them lose momentum after an initial burst, with defeats to MI and SRH exposing their flaws. Ajinkya Rahane hinted at changes after the loss on April 2, but it seems like they will need to make some big calls.

AN EXTRA BATTER BUT WHO?

With Cameron Green not bowling for KKR, Sunil Gavaskar said that they need to bring in an extra batter into the mix. While Green is the big-money buy, if he isn't bowling, then KKR needs someone who can strengthen the lower order.

"I think they have to somewhere down the line, think in terms of the fact that if Cameron Green is not going to be bowling for you, you have to pick another batter there, because yes, I think we know that he's got 100 in the IPL. We know that he can bat well, but his form has not been great when he's come in there."

"The last game that he played in Australia, he got 100 in a Shield game in a red-ball game, but this is where they've got to look at their numbers 6 and 7. Yes, Cameron Green at 4, but I think also 5 and 6 is the issue where I think they're struggling. Rinku is there, but apart from that, who do they have?" said Gavaskar to the broadcasters.

After Rinku, the presence of Andre Russell is sorely missed for KKR. While the onus has been put on Ramandeep Singh and Anukul Roy, there needs to be a power-hitting option.The obvious option is Rovman Powell, someone who enjoyed a sensational run in T20s, scoring 269 runs in 11 matches. But this would mean sacrificing one of their bowling options—Sunil Narine or Blessing Muzarabani—which would create another major issue.

Another option could be to bring in Tim Seifert, who shares a strong bond with Finn Allen from their time with New Zealand, and slot him at the top of the order. But once again, the question remains—who makes way?

An exciting and probably risky option comes in the form of Delhi Premier League import, Tejasvi Singh. During the 2025 season of the DPL, he racked up 339 runs in just 10 innings, striking at over 190 and finishing as the tournament’s second-highest six-hitter with 29 maximums. His standout moment came in a rain-curtailed chase, where he hammered 69 off just 21 balls, including a record-breaking 12-ball half-century—the fastest in DPL history.Now, if KKR can bring him in for Anukul or Ramandeep, things could improve in the No. 6 and 7 spots.

NARINE BACK OPENING?

Narine provided some masala in the game against SRH, smashing a couple of sixes off his first two balls. He has opened in previous seasons—one successful stint in 2024 and another that didn’t quite work out.If KKR go down that route, it gives them an all-out attacking opening pair in Allen and Narine, who will certainly throw caution to the wind.But the issue is that it would push Rahane to No. 3 and Raghuvanshi to No. 4.

That is a phase KKR need to manage carefully, as both players have the tendency to slow things down in the middle and create pressure on the rest.So for KKR, their next outing comes at home against their former skipper Shreyas Iyer and the Punjab Kings on April 6. By then, they need to find a solution.A third loss in as many games could derail their season early. A couple of bold calls need to be made by the men in purple and gold.

- Ends