Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Abhishek Nayar has given a fiery message to his troops amidst the Ajinkya Rahane-Cameron Green episode following the team’s crushing loss to Mumbai Indians (MI) in their IPL 2026 opener on March 29 at Wankhede Stadium.
Despite KKR putting up 220/4, thanks to Rahane’s fluent 67 and young Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s fiery 51 on debut, the bowling unit completely faltered as they had no answer to the Mumbai Indians openers’ attack. This loss also sparked drama around Green not bowling against the MI.
Mumbai Indians finally broke their opening-match curse after 14 years by chasing down a massive 221 against Kolkata Knight Riders. Rohit Sharma smashed a brutal 78 off 38, while Ryan Rickelton hammered 81 off 43. Their 148-run stand in 11.5 overs completely shattered KKR’s confidence.
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The two sides will lock horns again later this season at Eden Gardens, but for now, KKR shifts focus to their first home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 2. Ahead of this crucial game at the Eden Gardens, where both teams aim to make a comeback, Abhishek has delivered a powerful message directed at Rahane, Green, and the entire squad.
Abhishek Nayar drops fiery message after MI hammering
Nayar reminded his KKR squad that the IPL is a long journey, and he highlighted several moments where the team showed spirit despite the tough conditions at Wankhede.
He pointed out how Rahane and Finn Allen gave a strong start, how Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh kept the score moving, and how the squad fought hard even under heavy pressure.
Abhishek Nayar said in a KKR video: “I saw glimpses of what this team is capable of. Be proud of yourselves because I am. I'm really happy with the fight that we showed. I've always believed this tournament is a marathon. It's not a sprint."
"For me, actually, there were lots of things we did really well. We all know that playing at Mumbai, starting at Wankhede, is never the easiest. I felt we were outstanding with the bat. So, a lot to be proud about.”
Nayar defends KKR bowlers amid heavy backlash
Despite the massive criticism, the KKR head coach hailed his bowlers, including Kartik Tyagi’s comeback after a no-ball shock and encouraging spells from Vaibhav Arora and Blessing Muzarabani.
Nayar added, “I know there were lots of questions on our bowling unit and what this team is going to do. But I'm really happy with the fight that we showed, even inside the unity that we had.”
We take our learnings & come back stronger in Kolkata!Hear what Head Coach, Abhishek Nayar had to say after #MIvKKR ? pic.twitter.com/K2mKamSIpg
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 30, 2026
In a strong message to the Men in Purple and Gold, Abhishek Nayar told the players that the MI loss should only fuel their comeback, not break their confidence. With the big game coming up against the SRH, he shifted focus toward hard work to make a stronger comeback.
Abhishek Nayar signed off by saying, “We worked really hard to build something special. When we go back to Kolkata, we get back to the drawing board. We'll work hard again and plan better with the next team harder.”
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