Varun Chakaravarthy (R) with KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane (Pic credit: IPL) NEW DELHI: It was a night of personal glory for Varun Chakaravarthy, who etched his name in the record books with a special milestone for Kolkata Knight Riders even as the team’s struggles continued in IPL 2026.The mystery spinner became the first Indian bowler to take 100 wickets for KKR in Indian Premier League history and achieved the landmark during their clash against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. The milestone came in the 10th over of the chase when he dismissed Jose Buttler, prompting a brief celebration for the visitors.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Varun added another wicket soon after, removing Washington Sundar to complete the milestone and underline his value as a consistent wicket-taker. He also joined the elite list of bowlers who achieved success for KKR, along with franchise greats like Sunil Narine and Andre Russell.Overall, Varun now has 102 wickets in the IPL from 88 matches, including one wicket for Punjab Kings in his debut season in 2019.Narine tops the list with 196 wickets for KKR, which is also the most for a single franchise in IPL history. The West Indian mystery spinner is followed by Russell who has taken 122 wickets for KKR, with Varun now third on the list.GT spoils the party with a dominating chaseHowever, the breakthrough effort was overshadowed by another defeat for KKR as Gujarat Titans chased down a target of 181 runs with five wickets in hand to record their third straight win of the season. The loss left KKR winless and rooted to the bottom of the table.The chase was superbly orchestrated by Shubman Gill who played a smooth 86 to keep GT firmly in control. His innings ensured that the hosts dominated the powerplay and never allowed KKR to claw their way back into the match.Earlier, KKR’s total was largely built on a fighting 79 from Cameron Green, who was in the midst of a top-order collapse. He stitched together key partnerships but lacked support from the other end as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.Led by Kagis Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, GT’s pace attack earlier set the tone with the new ball, dismantling KKR’s top order and putting them on the back foot early in the innings.It was a landmark night for Varun that highlighted his growing legacy in the league, even as KKR were left searching for answers in a season that continues to elude them.
