Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Varun Chakravarthy is refusing to rest his foot injury, the team’s assistant coach Shane Watson revealed on Wednesday, May 20. Speaking after KKR’s crucial win over Mumbai Indians, which kept their Indian Premier League playoff hopes alive, Watson said that Varun was willing to push through pain to contribute to the side.
Varun bowled his full quota of four overs against Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens, despite the suspicion that he is carrying a fracture on his foot. His economical spell helped KKR maintain pressure on the MI batting line-up, which collapsed in the powerplay after losing four wickets for just 41 runs.
The mystery spinner has been dealing with pain from an impact injury sustained during KKR’s match against Delhi Capitals earlier in the season, which was later diagnosed as a hairline fracture.
“All I do know is he’s obviously playing through a bit of pain at the moment, which just shows how brave he is, and how much he wants to be here to be able to contribute for KKR,” Watson said in the post-match press conference.
“He’s still bowling beautifully. It’s been brilliant to see the turnaround from the first few games of the season to the impact he’s been able to consistently have every single game,” he added.
Despite the injury, Varun has continued to make himself available as KKR attempt one of the most dramatic turnarounds of IPL 2026. Ajinkya Rahane’s side has now won six of their last seven matches after enduring a disastrous start to the campaign.
Varun, who struggled for rhythm in the early part of the season, rediscovered his touch midway through the tournament and played a massive role in transforming KKR’s bowling attack.
Watson credited the spinner’s hunger and commitment, saying the franchise was fortunate to have someone willing to put the team ahead of personal comfort.
“We are so lucky to be able to have someone of Varun’s skill and also his desperation to be able to be here and want to play for KKR because with the pain that he’s managing, he could have easily just said, ‘I don’t want to be a part of this, I’m just going to go and rest it,’” Watson said.
“So, we’re very fortunate that he’s all in and he’s done a brilliant job again tonight. We’re very grateful for everything that he continues to do for KKR,” he added.
Following their win over Mumbai Indians, KKR remain alive in the playoff race. If they manage to beat Delhi Capitals in their final league game, they could still sneak into the top four provided results elsewhere go in their favour.
Regardless of where they finish, KKR’s late-season resurgence has been one of the stories of IPL 2026. Written off after failing to win any of their first six matches, the side showed remarkable resilience to drag themselves back into playoff contention.
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Source: India Today
