IPL: Why Varun Chakaravarthy is not playing in KKR’s crucial clash vs RCB

Kolkata Knight Riders person suffered a large setback successful their important IPL 2026 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with prima spinner Varun Chakaravarthy ruled retired aft picking up an wounded successful the erstwhile crippled against Delhi Capitals. The enigma spinner was seen limping up of the lucifer successful Raipur portion having a speech with debutant Saurabh Dubey during the warm-up, powerfully hinting astatine fittingness concerns earlier the flip confirmed his lack from the playing XI.

KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane aboriginal revealed that Varun was unavailable for selection, with uncapped pacer Saurabh Dubey coming into the broadside for his IPL debut. "Last 4 games person been bully for us. For america it's taking 1 crippled astatine a time.

It's astir respecting the opponents, and winning those tiny moments. This format is each astir that, winning those tiny moments is important. Varun is out, Saurabh comes successful for him," Rahane said astatine the toss. Varun’s lack comes arsenic a monolithic stroke for Kolkata Knight Riders, particularly considering the spinner’s relation successful the team’s singular turnaround this season. After losing 5 of their archetypal six matches, KKR bounced backmost powerfully and entered this fixture unbeaten successful their erstwhile 4 games, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

The spinner had been cardinal to that revival with his power and wicket-taking quality done the mediate overs. However, concerns astir his fittingness emerged during the erstwhile lucifer against Delhi Capitals erstwhile helium appeared uncomfortable connected the field. The lucifer itself was delayed owed to rainfall successful Raipur, with the flip yet taking spot astatine 8:30 PM and the crippled scheduled to statesman astatine 8:45 PM. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the flip and opted to vessel first, with skipper Rajat Patidar expecting the aboveground to behave likewise to the 1 utilized during RCB’s thrilling last-ball triumph implicit Mumbai Indians earlier this week. "We volition vessel first. I deliberation it's a akin wicket we played successful the past match. It volition behave successful a akin way. We volition effort to support them nether pressure. I deliberation the wickets are beauteous overmuch same. There volition beryllium adaptable bounce. That was a bully crippled for us, everyone has a batch of confidence. Every crippled is important, we are focussing much connected playing bully cricket. Venky comes successful for Shepherd," Patidar said. RCB entered the contention carrying momentum from their melodramatic triumph implicit Mumbai Indians, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood continuing to predominate with the caller shot this season.

Virat Kohli, meanwhile, came into the crippled looking to retrieve from consecutive ducks.Teams:Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Ajinkya Rahane(c), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik TyagiRoyal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam Dar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood For KKR, however, the spotlight shifted firmly onto Varun Chakaravarthy’s injury, with the squad present forced to navigate a must-win clash without 1 of their astir influential bowlers.