Kolkata Knight Riders have roped in Navdeep Saini as a replacement for Harshit Rana for IPL 2026. Rana was earlier ruled out of the tournament after suffering a ligament strain in his right knee during the T20 World Cup, further depleting KKR’s bowling attack. Akash Deep and Matheesha Pathirana are also injured, while Mustafizur Rahman was left out of the squad.

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Saini, who has taken 77 wickets in 87 T20s, including one four-wicket haul, said he found out only last night that KKR had picked him and was overwhelmed by the news. The speedster said he always believed his hard work would pay off, adding that he had manifested the opportunity and that his faith in god made the moment even more special.

Also Read: KKR’s bowling fear factor is gone, oppositions won’t worry anymore: R Ashwin

“I found out last night, and the moment I got to know, I honestly didn’t know how to react. But somewhere, I always felt that the way I’ve been working hard and putting in the effort, something like this was bound to happen,” Saini told Knight Club.

“In a way, you could say it was already in my mind – almost like I had manifested it, to be honest. I knew it would happen someday, but the most important thing is to keep faith in god. That’s exactly what I did, and when it finally happened, it felt really amazing,” Saini added.

NAVDEEP SAINI’S IPL CAREER IN BRIEF

Saini has returned to the IPL for the first time since 2023. He brings valuable experience to KKR despite not having played regularly in recent seasons. The right-arm pacer made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2019 after first being picked by Delhi Daredevils in 2017, and quickly earned a reputation for his raw pace and hit-the-deck bowling.

Across his IPL career so far, Saini has featured in 32 matches and taken 23 wickets at an economy rate of 8.88. He spent the early part of his IPL journey with RCB before moving to Rajasthan Royals, where he last appeared in the league in 2023.

At the 2024 auction, Rajasthan had bought him for INR 2.60 crore, but he went unsold ahead of IPL 2026 before being drafted in by KKR as a replacement. His inclusion gives the franchise an experienced Indian pace option amid an injury-hit bowling attack.

The Knights, who failed to qualify for the playoffs last season, are scheduled to begin their campaign against five-time champions Mumbai Indians on March 29 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

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Lucknow: Dealing with a problem of plenty is a challenge Bharat Arun, the former India bowling coach, is looking forward to at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He has one of the best fast bowling unit in the India Premier League (IPL) which begins on Saturday. The former India pacer, 63, speaks about the season ahead in this interview to HT.

Excerpts:

Q: What convinced you to leave Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after four years and take on this challenge?

A: Well, one thing is for sure: I have a much better role than I had in KKR. Also, we have more than half-a-dozen really talented Indian fast bowlers. Any of them can play for the country. To be able to guide this talent to achieve its potential is a big challenge for me. And I love challenges.

Q: In a video for the broadcasters, Rishabh Pant says the bowlers “trust you and open up to you.” How quickly do you need to build that trust, and what’s your method for doing it?

A: See, that is the biggest challenge for any coach. You can only begin coaching once you build trust. I feel my strength is that I quickly connect with people. Everyone is different; every player is different; their mindsets, their dreams are all different. So, how soon I understand their mindsets helps me connect better. Once the connection is made, you can bring a lot more to the table for a player to achieve his potential.

Q: You inherited a pace attack that looks strong with Mohammed Shami, Anrich Nortje, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Arjun Tendulkar. But almost all of them are returning from injury.

A: I know most of them are coming from injuries, and that’s why we had a pre-season camp about a month before we assembled here in Lucknow. That was to assess where they were at that point in time. Managing a fast bowling workload is not only my job, it involves three of us: the physiotherapist, the strength-and-conditioning expert and me. All of us together understand the requirements of a bowler, his physical state and his condition. Then, we assign programmes to them.

Q: Can you talk a bit about Mayank? When a young fast bowler like him is returning from a long injury layoff, what’s the biggest psychological challenge they face, and how do you address it?

A: Mayank has not bowled for nearly two years now. For somebody who can bowl 150 kmph plus going through a series of injuries and being out of the game for that long is not easy. He cannot straightaway be looking to bowl 150-plus; that comes with confidence. Even right now he’s bowling with very good rhythm and close to 140 which I feel is a very healthy pace. If he can work more on his execution, pace will come as he gains more confidence.

Q: You have had a long working relationship with Shami in the national team. How has it been working with him again?

Shami and I share a special bond. We were together in the Indian team for seven years; I knew Shami even before that and that has only strengthened our bond. I know what he brings to the table; he is probably one of the best bowlers in world cricket today and it’s very exciting for me to be working with Shami again.

Q: You’ve worked with India’s bowling attack across two separate stints. What’s the biggest difference in coaching fast bowlers in a two-month IPL window as opposed to doing that for India?

A: Well I wouldn’t look at this only as a two-month period; it is a relationship which I take into much later after the IPL. Yes, of course, IPL is a very important tournament for us but most of these bowlers will be with us throughout the year and I am available to work with them whenever they are ready.

Q: In terms of pace bowling performances, LSG didn’t have a good season in 2025. But after the trade and auction, the pace attack looks stronger.

A: Shami brings in a lot of experience. Prince Yadav has done well. Avesh Khan and Mohsin are exciting talent and so is Naman Tiwari. Arjun Tendulkar is also there. If you look at the pace bowling setup, each one is unique. How soon we get them to align with what the team wants and get the best out of them is the biggest challenge.