New Delhi: The next season of the Indian Premier League—India’s grand festival of cricket—is once again set to commence, with preparations currently in full swing. The opening match of the new IPL season is scheduled to be played on March 28. Meanwhile, ahead of the 2026 IPL season, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have become a major topic of discussion.
Kolkata has now found a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman. KKR—co-owned by Shah Rukh Khan—had released Rahman from their squad following directives from the BCCI. This decision was taken in light of the growing anti-India sentiment prevailing in Bangladesh at the time. However, the decision had also sparked considerable controversy. Subsequently, Bangladesh had also withdrawn its participation from the ICC T20 World Cup, citing security concerns.
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This Player Joins Kolkata
The Kolkata Knight Riders have signed Zimbabwean fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani to replace Mustafizur Rahman in their squad. Standing 6 feet 8 inches tall, this right-arm pacer is considered one of Zimbabwe’s most formidable bowlers in the T20 format.
The 29-year-old Muzarabani is renowned for his sheer pace, the extra bounce he generates, and his ability to take wickets at crucial moments. Blessing Muzarabani’s inclusion has significantly bolstered KKR’s pace attack—a development that comes as nothing short of great news for the team ahead of the IPL season.
Muzarabani was part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad during the previous IPL season. At that time, RCB had brought him on board for the final few matches as a replacement for Lungi Ngidi. Blessing Muzarabani also boasts an impressive record in T20 International cricket.
He has claimed 106 wickets across 89 T20 International matches at an average of 21.34. Meanwhile, Muzarabani has also parted ways with the PSL. Blessing Muzarabani is distinguished by his towering height and the extra bounce he extracts from the pitch; on Indian pitches, these very attributes could prove to be a formidable challenge for opposing batsmen. Muzarabani Withdraws from PSL
After being selected for the 2026 Indian Premier League, Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani has decided to withdraw from the PSL. Notably, this is not the first time such an instance has occurred; during the previous season, South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch also opted to leave Peshawar Zalmi to play for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
Blessing Muzarabani displayed tremendous form during the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. He finished fourth on the list of the tournament’s leading wicket-takers, claiming 13 wickets across six matches. His spell of 4/17 against Australia garnered significant attention, a performance that played a pivotal role in securing Zimbabwe’s spot in the Super 8 round.