IPL 2026, RCB vs KKR Today Match: Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Varun Chakravarthy remains doubtful for Match 57 of IPL 2026 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday, May 13, as he continues to recover from a leg injury.
Varun appeared to be struggling physically during KKR’s previous match against Delhi Capitals on May 8. The mystery spinner was seen limping badly during his fourth over but still completed his full quota despite being in visible discomfort, raising concerns over his availability for the RCB encounter.
Speaking before the match, KKR assistant coach Shane Watson admitted that Chakravarthy is still being monitored and his availability remains uncertain.
“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. “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.
Chakravarthy has played a key role in Kolkata Knight Riders’ revival this season. After enduring a difficult start to IPL 2026, KKR bounced back strongly with four consecutive victories to stay alive in the playoff race. The spinner, alongside veteran all-rounder Sunil Narine, has been instrumental in controlling the middle overs for the defending champions.
KKR would face a significant setback if Chakravarthy misses the match against RCB, especially on a Raipur surface that has shown signs of assisting slower bowlers. The spinner has enjoyed an impressive record against Bengaluru in the IPL, claiming 15 wickets in 11 matches against the franchise at an economy rate of 7.18.
Meanwhile, Watson also provided an update on Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who joined the squad after recovering from injury but is yet to feature in IPL 2026.
“Pathirana continues to push his case. He’s fit and ready to go. But, with the way our team’s been set up, it’s been hard for him to get into the playing 11 or 12. To be able to know that a player of that calibre is ready to make his mark gives our group a lot of confidence,” Watson added.
The former Australia all-rounder also explained that KKR needed time to settle as a unit following several changes to the squad after the IPL auction.
“It was always going to take a bit of time to work out where everyone was going to fit into the squad because there was quite a bit of turnover from last season. Now things have come together nicely, our batting order is much more settled, and we have a better understanding of what works for us,” Watson said.
KKR head into the must-win clash against RCB with momentum on their side, but the fitness of Varun Chakravarthy remains one of the biggest talking points ahead of the contest.
The final decision on Varun’s participation is expected at the toss.
