Ashwin called KKR's bowling attack weak, said – the fear of 'mystery factor' is over

Chennai. Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling attack is no longer as intimidating as before and the 'element of novelty' among their 'mystery' spinners has also faded. Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of KKR before the Indian Premier League (IPL), Ashwin said that Indian spinner Varun Chakraborty will now have a lot of responsibility.

R Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, 'I don't think the opposing teams will get scared after seeing KKR's bowling. The 'mystery factor', 'novelty' and awe, all these are gone now. Earlier, batsmen used to go to the analyst's room and look at the bowler's hand or think about taking a run. Varun is in a phase of his career where he has to find answers. This is part of the development of every cricketer. I think the element of novelty is gone now.

Ashwin also said that the effectiveness of experienced all-rounder Sunil Narayan has also reduced. He said, 'Sunil Narayan can no longer bowl his fast ball because of his action. Eden Gardens is a small ground so it has become easier for the opposing teams to be aggressive. He stressed that it may be difficult for KKR bowlers to stop the aggressive batting line-up, especially on small grounds.

He also said that the bowling unit has become weak due to injuries and changes in players. He said, “After the auction I had said that KKR's bowling is strong. But now Mustafizur Rahman is not in the team. Mathisha Pathirana is injured and Harshit Rana is also out. KKR has Blessing Muzarabani who has worked hard and I am excited to see him. But amidst so many injuries, someone will have to take a big responsibility and I don't see who that will be.

Indian fast bowler Akashdeep has also been ruled out for the entire KKR season. Ashwin also mentioned the absence of Shreyas Iyer, who had led KKR to its third title in 2024 but the team released him. He said, 'There is Korbo, there is Lorbo, but there is no Jeetbo. KKR won the title thrice, twice under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir and once under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer. Shreyas Iyer's captaincy has been impressive. KKR's loss became Punjab Kings' gain.

Iyer joined Punjab Kings and last year led the team to the IPL final for the first time in a decade. Ashwin also said that if a player does not fulfill his role then teams should have the right to cut his fees. Citing the example of Cameron Green, he said that if Cricket Australia does not allow him to bowl full four overs then IPL teams should cut his payments.

This former cricketer said, 'If you have bought a player to bowl and bat four overs, but he is not able to do so, then the team should have the right to deduct his money. Imagine, if you are Shahrukh Khan and you have spent Rs 25 crore on a player and he says that he will bowl only one over, how would you feel?