The former no.1 ranked T20I bowler Varun Chakravarthy has been going through a rough patch. On batter-friendly wickets, he has struggled of late. Expensive in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 ending stages, the mystery spinner’s lack of form spilled over in Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 opener against Mumbai Indians (MI). At Wankhede Stadium, he was expensive once again, more than three weeks after taking a beating from England batters. Amid a lacklustre run, KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane has backed the spinner and urged him not to overthink.
“Every player goes through this phase. He is working hard and his attitude is right. Probably opposition batters are playing him well. Coming from a high-intensity tournament to another high-intensity tournament, it is mentally challenging,” Rahane said in the post-match press conference.
“He shouldn’t think too much about results. If he can switch off, stay relaxed and keep his mind calm, I am sure he will do well. There is no doubt about his attitude or work ethic. It’s always about the mind,” he added.
Chakravarthy takes a beating from MI top order
Chakravarthy was introduced in the fifth over of the innings Rohit welcome him with a boundary over covers. Then, he hit him for a maximum over long-off. The MI opener hit him for another four in the 15-run over. In the eighth over, he was reintroduced to bowl in tandem with Sunil Narine. He conceded eight runs from his second over, including a boundary off Rohit's bat. After the halfway stage, he got another over. Ryan Rickelton hit him for a six and a four in the 13-run over. After Rohit departed, Chakravarthy was handed the ball again. Impact player Suryakumar Yadav and Rickelton hit him for a boundary each in the 12-run over.
Chakravarthy’s next opponent
KKR's next clash is at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Nearly a month ago, he played against West Indies at the venue in a must-win game for India. He got the wicket of West Indies skipper Shai Hope. In his quota of four overs, he conceded 40 runs. This time he will be facing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). He has a decent record against the 2016 champions. From 13 games, the 34-year-old has 13 wickets against them at an average of 29.71. He is KKR's third-highest wicket-taker against SRH.