Varun Chakravarthy's resurgence has been a cornerstone of KKR's recent turnaround.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) assistant coach Shane Watson has confirmed that mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy is being monitored for a knee injury ahead of their must-win IPL 2026 fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Wednesday (May 13).
Chakaravarthy was seen in knee braces and using crutches following the previous match against Delhi Capitals (DC), which raised concerns over his availability.
KKR are fighting for a spot in the playoffs, and losing a key bowler like Chakaravarthy would be a major setback.
“Varun Chakaravarthy is still being monitored at the moment,” Watson said ahead of the clash against RCB in Raipur. “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.”
“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.
Varun Chakravarthy's resurgence has been a cornerstone of KKR's turnaround, with the mystery spinner claiming 10 wickets in four games following a wicketless start to his first three matches
KKR struggled badly at the beginning of the season, failing to win any of their first six matches (0 wins, 5 losses, 1 no-result). Following this, the three-time champions found a second wind, winning four consecutive games to dramatically revive their campaign.
Shane Watson stated the team is focused on maintaining consistency and not looking too far ahead.
“History has shown in the IPL that teams can recover after poor starts,” he said. “We certainly know that’s possible. But what’s most important is continuing to put together complete performances like we did against Delhi Capitals.”
Watson also shared an update on Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who is yet to cement a regular place in the playing XI despite being fit and available.
“He continues to push his case. He’s fit and ready to go,” Watson said. He added that the team's recent success has made the management hesitant to change the playing combination.
Watson believes having a bowler of Pathirana's quality on the bench provides added confidence to the squad as they head into crucial matches.