The debate around player workload and franchise pressure in the IPL has returned to the spotlight after Kolkata Knight Riders fielded Varun Chakravarthy despite the spinner carrying a hairline fracture in his left foot. As concerns grew over the risk of aggravating the injury, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia admitted that the board does not fully interfere in franchise decisions during the IPL season.
The issue gained attention after Chakravarthy bowled his complete four-over spell against Gujarat Titans on May 16 despite visibly struggling through pain. The mystery spinner limped through parts of his spell and appeared uncomfortable while returning to his mark, triggering criticism over KKR’s decision to continue using him.
Speaking to PTI, Saikia explained the BCCI’s current role regarding centrally contracted players during the IPL, while also acknowledging that franchises largely control injury management during the tournament.
“So far as IPL is concerned, franchises take care of the injuries and fitness of the players. Of course physios from COE (Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru) are also monitoring them, workload as well as plan on how to keep them fit,” Saikia said.
However, the BCCI secretary also admitted that the board’s powers remain limited while the IPL is ongoing.
“The monitoring is there but when IPL is going on, we cannot interfere too much. Had it been the Indian team situation, our control would have been more,” Saikia added.
His statement has once again reopened the long-running country-versus-club debate in Indian cricket, especially with India’s busy international calendar approaching quickly.
“Now we are giving freedom to franchises to take call on the players. We will definitely look at their fitness level when it comes to selecting the national team,” Saikia further said.
The controversy erupted after Varun Chakravarthy bowled through pain during KKR’s clash against Gujarat Titans despite reportedly carrying a hairline fracture that ideally required rest.
The Tamil Nadu spinner completed his four-over quota and conceded 47 runs without taking a wicket. He managed only three dot balls during the spell and was visibly hobbling at different points of the innings.
The situation has not gone down well with people connected to the Indian team setup, especially with India scheduled to play seven T20Is in Dublin and England starting June 26.
Although Chakravarthy is not currently part of India’s ODI or Test plans and the upcoming Afghanistan series does not feature T20Is, concerns remain around whether the spinner could worsen the injury ahead of the UK tour if he continues playing through pain for KKR.
Questions are also being raised about why the player himself did not stop bowling despite appearing physically uncomfortable.
KKR’s desperation to stay alive in the playoff race has only intensified the scrutiny. The defending champions currently sit eighth on the IPL 2026 points table with 11 points from 12 matches and realistically need to win both remaining games while also depending on other results.
At the moment, the BCCI has not officially instructed KKR to rest Chakravarthy, but Saikia’s comments suggest the board continues to monitor the situation closely through the Centre of Excellence medical staff.
It now remains to be seen whether the BCCI medical team headed by Kamlesh Jain eventually steps in if the spinner’s condition worsens further.
KKR still have two league games left, against Mumbai Indians on May 20 and Delhi Capitals on May 24 at Eden Gardens — with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
Whether Chakravarthy features in those matches could now become a bigger talking point than KKR’s playoff calculations themselves.
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Source: India Today
