Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Varun Chakaravarthy was seen using crutches and wearing leg braces ahead of their high-profile clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur on May 13. It raises concerns about his availability for the crucial fixture as the three-time champions push for their qualification in the IPL 2026 playoffs.
Notably, the mystery spinner picked up the injury during KKR’s previous outing against Delhi Capitals, where he visibly struggled through his spell but still completed his full quota of four overs. He finished with impressive figures of 28 runs in four overs, before being subbed out. He was seen walking off with difficulty, with Finn Allen coming in as his Impact Player replacement.
KKR, in the meantime, went on to register an important eight-wicket victory, keeping their playoff hopes alive. However, Chakaravarthy’s fitness remained a talking point after the match. Following the win, captain Ajinkya Rahane provided an update, stating that while the spinner was “doing fine,” he was not fit enough to take the field.
“He's fine. As long as Varun is bowling, he's happy. When he's fielding, he just wants to go inside. But he's fine. He's absolutely fine,” Rahane said.
Nevertheless, Varun walking with crutches and a leg brace isn’t a positive sign and in all likelihood, the spinner could miss the RCB game. However, KKR haven’t shared an official update yet, as his focus will be closely monitored for the next two days before the team management takes a call.
Update on Matheesha Pathirana
KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo recently shared that Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana is close to recovery. However, they haven’t shared a possible timeline for his return. The pacer joining the KKR side itself was a sign of full fitness, especially after SLC giving him the green light, but it seems that the franchise has a different plan.
However, in case Varun misses out on the game against RCB, it won’t be surprising if Pathirana replaces Rovman Powell to strengthen the bowling unit.
