Kolkata, April 19 (IANS) Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Abhishek Nayar stressed the importance of maintaining belief and a positive dressing-room environment as the side continues to navigate a challenging phase in IPL 2026.

Speaking on the sidelines during KKR’s clash against Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens on Sunday, Nayar reflected on how the team management is helping players cope with setbacks, including injuries and inconsistent results.

“When you get hit early with a couple of injuries and you don’t get the start you want, you understand that this tournament can take a toll on you. So, being there, you have a lot of experience in (Shane) Watson, DJ (Bravo), Dre Russ (Andre Russell) and (Tim) Southee, so we understand that this sport can sometimes be hard on you and for us, it’s really important to keep an environment where you still believe, an environment where you’re creating a platform for people to still go out there and want to play for the franchise because sometimes this pressure can get the best out of you and we want to make sure we give them, from our standpoint, the best opportunity to do so,” he said.

Nayar also elaborated on the tactical use of veteran spinner Sunil Narine, particularly in the powerplay, where KKR have looked to address their struggles.

“Powerplay has sort of been a concern for us when we’ve leaked from. So, we’ve tried to make sure the kind of form he is to get an over there. It’s not so much a defensive ploy but we’re looking to pick a wicket through him and every time Sunil comes in, you’re trying to make sure that he’s impacting the game at times and you want wickets. Yes, oppositions are sort of playing him very differently this season but, you know, we’re always looking at Sunil as a wicket-taking option more than a defensive option from our end,” he stated.

With a growing emphasis on powerplay performance across teams, Nayar acknowledged its importance but maintained that success depends on executing well in all phases of the game.

“You need to play all three facets of the game but if that’s a trend, well, the one thing that we haven’t done well so far in this tournament is play the powerplay well but whenever we have, we’ve given ourselves a very good chance in the game and that’s what we want to do. I think as a team right now, we want to try and win all three phases of the game. More importantly, the powerplay. Today, I felt was a lot better just in regards of how we approached it but overall, I think for a team where we stand today, we need to make sure we play all three facets well but having a good powerplay doesn’t hurt at all,” Nayar mentioned.

As KKR look to turn their campaign around with a win against RR, Nayar’s focus remains firmly on fostering confidence and ensuring the players are equipped to respond under pressure.

–IANS

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