Irfan Pathan, a former all-rounder for India, believes that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) need players who can handle good spin. His comments are made ahead of the IPL 2026, which is set to start on March 28 of this month.
In a video posted to his YouTube account on Saturday, March 21, Pathan said that the team had not purchased middle-order players who can play spin at auction since Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana left the team.
“The real problem for Kolkata, which I think they did not properly address in the auction, has been: playing spin well. Since Shreyas Iyer left, since Nitish Rana left, they have not bought the middle-order players who can handle spin in the auction. That has actually been the biggest issue, and this is why we saw last year’s results.”
He further stated that Kolkata Knight Riders could face the same issues in 2026 as they did in 2025. Moreover, he added that even with players like Rovman Powell, who has delivered solid performances for West Indies national cricket team, doubts remain over his ability to handle spin effectively in the Indian Premier League. He said:
“Even this season, when I look at this team, I feel that problem will persist. Can you say that Rovman Powell is someone who plays spin really well? Sure, his numbers at number four for the West Indies are very good. There, you face spin. But when you come into this league, spin plays a different role. So, is he capable of that?”
Powell has been removed eight times while scoring 116 runs off spin in 18 innings at an average of 14.5 and a strike rate of 111.5 in the IPL.
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In the same video, Irfan Pathan claimed that Ajinkya Rahane performs well at the top of the order, but his strike rate against spin drops significantly in the middle overs. During the 2025 Indian Premier League, Rahane scored 128 runs off spin at a strike rate of 112.3 across nine innings.
Additionally, Pathan pointed out that Rinku Singh prefers facing pace, suggesting he thrives more against fast bowling. As a result, he warned that the team’s struggles against spin could persist this season. He said:
“Then Ajinkya Rahane is very good when batting at the top. But when he comes in the middle, the problem appears. His strike rate against spin drops significantly, almost around 100. Then can you say that Rinku Singh is a good hitter of spin or a good hitter of fast bowling? He is a good fast-bowling hitter. Ramandeep also comes in towards the end, ideally against fast bowling. If he can play well against spin, then that will definitely be an advantage. So actually, the issue Kolkata should have addressed, they did not. The spin problem, I think, will remain this year as well.”
On Sunday, March 29, KKR will play the Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium to kick off their IPL 2026 campaign.
