Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Abhishek Nayar confirmed that spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been ruled out of the clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur on Wednesday, May 13, night with a hairline fracture in his toe.
Nayar she did not provide a timetable for Chakravarthy’s recovery but expressed hope that the bowler could return in the next game if his condition improves.
“It was not easy for him,” Nayar said during the innings against RCB. “He’s been trying to come on for the team the last couple of days but maybe in the next game if his toe is better he’ll come on. But he’s got a little hairline on his toe and it’s hitting his leg so it’s quite uncomfortable for him now. We’re really hoping he’ll be back in the next game.”
The mystery spinner, who was seen wearing knee braces and using crutches after KKR’s previous match against Delhi Capitals, has raised serious concerns about his availability for the last leg of the Indian Premier League for KKR.
Varun was one of the key figures in KKR’s resurgence at the end of the season after a disastrous start where they lost their first six matches. After a wicketless run in the opening three games, Chakravarthy bounced back strongly and took 10 wickets in the next four matches, including a match-winning three-wicket spell against Sunrisers Hyderabad. His turnaround was instrumental in KKR’s revival, with the team then winning four consecutive matches to stay alive in the playoffs.
Kolkata are currently eighth in the points table with nine points from 10 matches. With four matches remaining, including a high-stakes clash against RCB, KKR remain mathematically in contention for a playoff spot. However, now faced with a must-win scenario, they need to win all their remaining matches to stay in the hunt.
Their situation echoes Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s remarkable turnaround last season, when they won seven games to book a place in the play-offs and eventually claimed their first Indian Premier League title, completing a dramatic arc of redemption.
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Published on:
13 May 2026 22:09 IST
