New Delhi: Players of Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings were spotted wearing black armbands during their IPL 2026 clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and elected to field against the five-time champions.Rahane made one change to the XI, replacing Navdeep Saini with Varun Chakraborty.“Want to bowl first. I think the last match was very good for us. Unfortunately the result didn’t go our way. But I thought the kind of cricket we played, the boys are getting that confidence from the last game. It’s all about starting fresh. It’s important when things aren’t going your way, it’s important to have faith, to be positive and to have small moments in small moments.” So, now looking forward to this game, we will start very well with the ball and then chase the target. (On the last game) Yes, of course. The knock that Muckle played the other night was fantastic. I mean, it’s going to be in this format. Like I said, it’s all about belief. People are working really hard,” Rahane said at the toss.“The important thing for us is to keep those tough yards out, focus on what we can overcome as players and have that belief in each individual. Like I said, the combination felt great for us in the last game. So, yeah, wanted to think about that game and just be in the moment. The right balance and obviously with players going through injuries, players not available. Tonight, just one change for us. Varun Chakraborty is fit. He has replaced Navdeep Saini,” he added.CSK captain Rutoraj Gaekwad announced an unchanged playing XI.“Yes, we would have bowled earlier too. But like I said, in the last few matches, the wicket hasn’t changed much, so there’s not much of a difference. It’s definitely going to be difficult to put a big total on the first innings scoreboard, but like I said, it looks like a really good level. 210, you know, against a strong DC side. Gave us a lot of confidence and you know, even the fielding unit was charged,” Gaekwad said.“We saved some runs and so I think collectively we did really well. It’s exciting today. We’ve got a job to do and everybody’s feeling confident. (Talking about the balance of the team) Yeah, I think we’re slowly getting it right. Bruce is coming back and Jamie is also giving those important overs in the middle. So I think we’re slowly, slowly getting it right every game and working to fix it every game. are constantly We are going with the same team,” he added.
Why did KKR wear black armbands vs CSK?
KKR players wore black armbands to mourn the death of former India cricketer CD Gopinath, a member of India’s maiden Test-winning team and an early contributor to the country’s journey in international cricket.Gopinath represented India in eight Tests between 1951 and 1960 and made an immediate impact on debut with scores of 50 not out and 42 against England.At a time when Indian cricket was still establishing itself on the world stage, he was part of the team that won the country’s first Test victory against England in Madras (now Chennai) in 1952 – a historic moment in India’s cricketing history.At the domestic level, Gopinath was a key figure in Madras cricket, leading the team and playing an important role in its development. He enjoyed a distinguished first-class career, scoring 4,259 runs in 60 matches, and was instrumental in Madras’ maiden Ranji Trophy triumph in 1954–55, scoring a century in the final.After retirement, he served as a national selector – including chairman – and later as manager of the Indian team during the 1979 tour of England. He was closely associated with the game for decades and was widely respected for his deep understanding of cricket and his extraordinary presence.
