Kolkata Knight Riders have always prided themselves on having a strong spin attack, a factor that played a huge role in their winning campaigns in 2012, 2014 and 2024. The likes of Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Piyush Chawla and Shakib Al Hasan have helped Kolkata build a reputation as one of the premier sides in the history of spin.
DC vs KKR: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
IPL 2026 has again highlighted why spinners remain central to KKR’s success. Whenever their slow bowlers struggled, Kolkata often looked for answers. KKR were completely out of sorts during the first half of the tournament as their spinners endured a lean patch. The team went six games without a win and seemed destined for early elimination.
However, once the spinners rediscovered their rhythm, KKR managed to completely turn their campaign around. The franchise has now won four in a row and clawed its way back into playoff contention after once staring at the possibility of an early exit.
on Friday KKR beat Delhi Capitals by eight wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium to extend their winning streak to four matches. The spinner has been instrumental in this turnaround and will need to continue to deliver if KKR are to secure a place in the top four.
HOW KOLKATA SPINNERS FOUND THEIR BEST
In the first six games, KKR’s spinners have largely struggled, taking just 10 wickets at an economy rate of 8.65. Among them, Sunil Narine was economical with an economy rate of 6.89 but took only four wickets. Chakravarthy has been having a nightmare, taking two wickets from four games at an economy rate of 10.69. Anukul Roy was conceding runs at 9.18 which hurt KKR a lot.
But the story has changed since the RR game. In the last four matches, KKR’s spinners have improved drastically, taking 18 wickets at an economy rate of 6.82. Chakravarthy, who got off to a flying start, made a strong comeback and was KKR’s top performer in the last four games. In this period, Chakravarthy took eight wickets at an economy rate of 6.93.
Narine has also improved significantly with an economy of 6.06 and six wickets. Anukul also saw improvement, taking four wickets at an economy rate of 8.28.
Kolkata Knight Riders spinners in IPL 2026
First 6 games (10 wickets at 8.65)
- Sunil Narine: 5 matches, 4 wickets, economy rate 6.89
- Anukul Roy: 6 matches, 4 wickets, economy rate 9.18
- Varun Chakravarthy: 4 matches, 2 wickets, economy rate 10.69
Last 4 matches (18 wickets at 6.82)
- Varun Chakravarthy: 4 matches, 8 wickets, economy rate 6.93
- Sunil Narine: 4 matches, 6 wickets, 6.06 economy rate
- Anukul Sudhakar Roy: 4 matches, 4 wickets, economy rate 8.28
KOLKATA SPINNERS CHOKE DELHI
Delhi Capitals tasted the bitter taste of poison in KKR’s bowling attack. After being asked to bat first, the Capitals got off to a good start scoring 49 runs in the first five overs. However, they managed just 93 runs in the remaining 15 overs as the trio of Varun Chakravarthy, Anukul Roy and Sunil Narine gave them absolutely no breathing space.
Between the 10th and 17th overs, Delhi failed to reach a single boundary in 38 deliveries as KKR’s spinners tightened the screws completely. The home side scored just 11 runs between the 12th and 16th overs, the lowest by any team during this phase in the IPL. DC also fielded 51 dot balls, accounting for nearly half of their innings.
Once the bowlers did the damage, Finn Allen merely completed the formalities with a stunning 47-ball century. KKR now have a more than realistic chance of making the playoffs and their movers will need to maintain that momentum if the franchise is to continue its winning streak and complete what would be a remarkable comeback after going almost halfway through the league stage without a win.
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Published on:
09 May 2026 11:42 IST
