IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders could be without star spinner Varun Chakravarthy for Match 57 of the Indian Premier League 2026 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday, as the mystery spinner continues to recover from a leg injury.
Varun has been one of Kolkata Knight Riders’ standout performers during their recent four-match winning streak. Alongside veteran spinner Sunil Narine, he has played a vital role in controlling the middle overs and providing regular breakthroughs.
Concerns over his fitness surfaced during KKR’s previous match against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Varun appeared uncomfortable while completing his spell and was later seen using crutches and wearing knee braces, putting his participation against RCB in doubt.
KKR assistant coach Shane Watson said the spinner is still being monitored and a final call on his availability is yet to be taken.
“Varun Chakravarthy is still being monitored at the moment. Obviously he’s been sore. In the last two games he was in a lot of pain. Even though he still bowled incredibly well, to see where he started off in the season to where he’s ended up getting to has been incredible to see,” Watson said ahead of the match.
“We’re just monitoring him at the moment. We’ve got our fingers crossed that he’ll be available for tomorrow, but we’re still not exactly sure,” he added.
KKR are currently eighth in the IPL 2026 points table but still remain mathematically alive in the playoff race. The defending champions are likely to need victories in all of their remaining matches to stay in contention for a top-four finish.
Varun’s absence could significantly impact KKR, especially given his impressive record against RCB. The spinner has taken 15 wickets in 11 IPL matches against Bengaluru while maintaining an economy rate of 7.18.
The Raipur surface used during the recent RCB versus Mumbai Indians match appeared slow and favourable for spinners, conditions that could have suited Varun’s bowling style perfectly. His unavailability would therefore come as a boost for the Bengaluru batting unit led by Virat Kohli.
If Varun misses the game, KKR may have to turn to uncapped leg-spinner Daksh Kamra or adjust their team combination with an additional spin-bowling option.