Inconsistency in the overs and an unbeaten first six overs has hurt the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), spinner Varun Chakaravarthy admitted on Sunday. In the six matches so far, KKR have lost five, while one match against Punjab Kings was goalless. In the team table, KKR are languishing at the bottom with just one point.
IPL 2026 KKR has been hit by injuries even before the start of the tournament. While Harshit Rana and Akash Deep were ruled out before the first ball was bowled, the three-time champions were without bowler Cameron Green for three games due to minor back strains and hamstring problems.
To make matters worse, Sri Lankan recruit Matheesha Pathirana was also unavailable due to fitness issues. While there is a lot to add to the list of bowling woes, Finn Allen’s lean patch has added more misery to KKR’s batting at the top of the order. Chakaravarthy admitted that the powerplay phase is where KKR fall behind.
“I feel the power play in bowling and batting is where we are losing. We are falling behind in the game. That is what we have to focus on,” Chakaravarthy told the host broadcaster ahead of the match against Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens. Not just Chakaravarthy, head coach Abhishek Nayar admitted the same later in the day.
Varun Chakaravarthy opens up about fractures
Chakaravarthy’s barren run with the ball as he finished as the joint top wicket-taker in the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20 along with Jasprit Bumrah also added to KKR’s woes. He also missed a few matches after injuring his finger while catching against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Chakaravarthy opened his form to reveal that he had a broken left hand. “I feel confident after the last fight because the first 4-5 fights I was on and off with some injuries that happened on the ground. A couple of fractures in my left hand. It’s still going, I’m still managing, but I’m trying to get back into my rhythm,” he said.
How will KKR maintain a positive result even if they don’t win?
Not winning a single game in the first six games can be frustrating at times. But Chakaravarthy credits the star-studded support staff for keeping things positive in the locker room. “Well, surprisingly, if I have to tell you, the support staff led us really well.
“Like the coaches, everybody; they kept us in good spirits. That’s all we can do. We’ve been told to focus on controllable things and we can’t control everything,” he added. A lot of team bonding, a lot of sitting. They all love each other’s company. I think this is one of the best KKR setups I have been a part of. It’s just that the results aren’t coming.”
Varun Chakaravarthy is back with a bang
After returning to the playing XI against Gujarat Titans, Chakravarathy was in stellar form. After his two wickets against Gujarat Titans, Chakaravarthy made the difference against Rajasthan Royals, with three wickets in his four overs, conceding just 14 runs at an economy of 3.50.
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