Aakash Chopra, a former India player, has raised concerns over the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) decision to exclude Matheesha Pathirana from their lineup in the IPL 2026 match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Chopra emphasized the need for a wicket-taking bowler in light of Varun Chakaravarthy’s absence.
In the 57th match of IPL 2026, held in Raipur on Wednesday, May 13, RCB defeated KKR by six wickets. The defending champions limited Ajinkya Rahane and his team to 192/4 and chased down the target with five balls to spare.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the former India batter questioned KKR’s decision to invest ₹18 crore in Pathirana without playing him in crucial matches.
“I have a question for you, KKR. Why aren’t you playing Pathirana? He is at the ground, but you don’t play him. If you don’t have to play him, why did you waste ₹18 crore? I am asking this question because this was a do-or-die match, and every match is do-or-die, where if Varun isn’t there, you go for a wicket-taker,” he said.
Chopra suggested that Pathirana might have been a better choice over Rovman Powell.
“This isn’t a ground where spin works. So you go for a pacer. You could have played him in place of Rovman Powell. You could have made Rovman Powell sit out. You are already playing Manish Pandey, and he is not getting to bat only. Tejasvi Dahiya is sitting outside. You could have brought back Ramandeep Singh as well,” he observed.
Chopra noted that Tejasvi Dahiya could have been played instead of Powell to make room for Pathirana.
“You had middle-order options. Your middle order is not getting utilized as much. So, when will you play Pathirana? I feel Pathirana should have been played in this match. You gave a chance to Saurabh Dubey. It is absolutely fine, but couldn’t you have given that chance to Tejasvi Dahiya in batting and played Pathirana? I have not seen a worse utilization of a ₹18-crore investment,” Chopra observed.
Chopra also mentioned that KKR should have set a higher target against RCB, suggesting they should have scored 210 runs, having lost only three wickets by the end of their innings.
“I don’t think the qualification will happen on 15 this time” – Aakash Chopra on KKR’s IPL 2026 playoff prospects after loss vs RCB
In the same video, Aakash Chopra expressed doubt about KKR’s chances of making it to the IPL 2026 playoffs.
“Kolkata’s story is very simple. They can reach only 15 points now. You cannot go beyond that. The good thing is that the remaining three games are at home, but the bad thing is that I don’t think the qualification will happen on 15 this time,” he said.
Chopra expressed concerns that the Punjab Kings (PBKS) could surpass KKR on net run rate if both teams end up with 15 points. He highlighted that Varun Chakaravarthy’s potential absence for the remaining games further complicates KKR’s situation.
“Many teams will reach 16 points, and if you and Punjab get stuck on 15, Punjab’s net run rate would be better than yours. You have a game each against GT, DC, and MI. You can make those turners, but after making those, you also need Varun Chakaravarthy, whom you don’t have. He got injured and didn’t play the game, and suddenly, they became a very weak team,” Chopra observed.
With nine points from 11 games, KKR currently sits eighth on the IPL 2026 points table. Even winning their remaining three league matches would require other results to favor them to qualify for the playoffs.
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Edited by Kartik Iyer
