After Kolkata Knight Riders conceded a second 200-plus score in back-to-back IPL 2026 defeats at the start of their campaign, India spin legend R Ashwin made a scathing assessment of the team’s bowling weaknesses.

Opting to bowl first at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, Ajinkya Rahane’s men ended up conceding a whopping 226-run total to SRH. Led by the brutal Powerplay onslaught from Travis Head and Ishan Kishan, none of the KKR bowlers were spared. With Heinrich Klaasen backing up the openers’ attack with a half-century, KKR were left reeling in a tall pursuit, eventually losing by 65 runs.

Ashwin observed that KKR’s bowling department is facing major issues with no bowler looking secure and stable to run through a four-over spell. Of the four bowlers who bowled as many overs on Thursday night, veteran Sunil Narine was the most economical even as he conceded nearly 10 runs per over.

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“KKR are going to have a lot of problems this season. Forget about their batting, bowling, and all of that. The way they played this game and the last game, I think that they don’t have one bowler whom they can bank on for four overs. Many times you have one or two weak links whom you look to support, but you don’t have even one bowler who can guarantee you four overs,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.

KKR’s woes have been compounded with mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy confronting one of his worst phases in T20 cricket. After being welcomed to the attack with a six from Abhishek, Chakaravarthy ended up conceding 31 runs in only two overs during another forgettable outing.

“What happens with a bowler, when they get hit a lot, this is a time for Varun that he has never seen before. This is a massive blow for him. When I look at him, I feel his confidence is very low. If you are under so much pressure, there are methods to improve your practice. I feel he needs to take some time,” observed Ashwin.

“He has to increase his hand speed and try all this in the nets. You cannot just go to the nets and do spot bowling on your own. This stage comes to everyone, where bowlers will pick you easily and even score runs. The game is pushing you to find a method and move forward. He will have to find answers,” he explained.