Blessing Muzarabani was brilliant in the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The Zimbabwe National Cricket Team pacer finished off the major tournament as the leading wicket-taker for the nation with 13 wickets. This was also the fourth highest in the tournament. He bowled brilliantly in the Sri Lanka phase and won crucial games for his side against Australia and Sri Lanka.
Blessing Muzarabani, who joined Islamabad United for the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL) season as a replacement for Shamar Joseph, has now withdrawn from the league. There have been media reports that the Chevrons pacer is set to join the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the upcoming season. He has been linked to joining the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
KKR names Blessing Muzarabani as replacement?
KKR have not yet announced their replacement for Mustafizur Rahman, who was picked by the franchise for a price of INR 9.20 crore in the IPL auction last year. However, he was released by the franchise at the order of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) due to political tensions between India and Bangladesh.
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With time running out for KKR, as they have not officially announced any replacement for the Bangladesh speedster, it is believed that Blessing Muzarabani is the frontrunner to become the replacement. KKR have had their problems with fast bowling ahead of the IPL 2026, as Matheesha Pathirana and Harshit Rana are out injured.
🚨 MUZARABANI WITHDRAWS FROM PSL 🚨
– Blessing Muzarabani has withdrawn from PSL to join KKR in IPL. pic.twitter.com/GzdX3YzJk3
— Salman. (@TsMeSalman) March 13, 2026
Matheesha Pathirana out of the IPL?
The former, however, will join the KKR camp in a few weeks as Pathirana suffered a hamstring injury during the ICC T20 World Cup and has been out since 16th February. However, KKR will miss the service of Harshit Rana for the majority of the season as the pacer suffered a knee injury during a warm-up match of India vs South Africa.
Blessing Muzarabani’s form and excellent bowling display in the sub-continent will surely help the three-time IPL champions. He was part of the IPL-winning team setup for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) last year. However, he did not feature for a single match in the competition. Muzarabani’s height of 6 feet 8 inches generates extra pace and bounce.
Blessing Muzarabani to shine at Eden Gardens
With the kind of wicket in Eden Gardens, Muzarabani can be lethal with the new ball with his hit-the-deck ability and also swing the new ball. The KKR fans are awaiting the official confirmation of the African continent’s fast bowler.
The tall and lanky pacer has prior experience of playing in different T20 leagues across the world. He features in the ILT20, PSL, CPL, and the Vitality Blast. Across different leagues, he has picked 45 wickets, and his economy has also been good.
Blessing Muzarabani’s T20 record
| Tournament | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Avg | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILT20 | 17 | 17 | 373 | 442 | 22 | 3/25 | 3/25 | 20.09 | 7.10 | 16.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PSL | 15 | 15 | 328 | 426 | 21 | 3/18 | 3/18 | 20.28 | 7.79 | 15.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CPL | 3 | 3 | 39 | 69 | 1 | 1/30 | 1/30 | 69.00 | 10.61 | 39.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vitality Blast | 4 | 3 | 48 | 76 | 1 | 1/28 | 1/28 | 76.00 | 9.50 | 48.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
KKR have built a great squad with amazing depth in their batting and Indian bowling attack as well. With Tim Seifert and Finn Allen both in amazing form, the Knights are one of the favourites to win the IPL this season.
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