Chakaravarthy has become a vital contributor during KKR's late-season resurgence.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Abhishek Nayar praised Varun Chakaravarthy’s dedication to playing through injuries in the ongoing IPL 2026.
Nayar noted that most players are rarely 100% fit during the IPL, but the mystery spinner’s commitment to push his body to the franchise’s cause despite pain is commendable.
Chakaravarthy suffered a left-toe hairline fracture while fielding and saving a boundary during a match against the Delhi Capitals (DC) on May 8. He was subsequently rested and missed KKR's away match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
With playoff hopes on the line, Chakaravarthy returned to play through the pain for crucial fixtures against the Gujarat Titans (GT) and Mumbai Indians (MI).
During his return against GT, Chakaravarthy was in clear physical distress, struggling between deliveries and visibly limping during his bowling spell.
Since he is a centrally contracted player for the Indian team, questions were raised over why KKR management utilized him for his full quota of four overs, risking further injury just weeks ahead of the Ireland and England T20I tours.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia addressed the matter, stating that while the board monitors centrally contracted players, they are largely "powerless" to intervene or micromanage how franchises handle their players’ workloads during the IPL.
“I just feel that when a player actually commits to playing when he is sometimes not at 100%, which I think most cricketers aren’t," Nayar said at the pre-match press conference for KKR’s last group-stage game against the DC on Sunday (May 24).
“If you ask most cricketers, there will be an injury here and there. But for him to go through that and start the season on a topsy-turvy curve, come back into form, have injuries. He’s broken quite a few limbs in this tournament already. Before that, 2 fingers, and now his toe. But I think I always say the toughest characters learn to go past pain and adversity, and that’s what Varun Chakaravarthy is," he added.
Nayar highlighted that while Chakaravarthy is outwardly soft-spoken, his internal passion for the team and deep investment in the franchise's success makes him an invaluable core member.
“He’s very emotional when it comes to this team, very emotional when it comes to everyone associated with this team. And I feel that’s the thought process beyond him actually wanting to do it and not having to force him to do it. So I think that’s a big challenge sometimes, and players are not keen to do it, but he’s been keen, very keen to do it for the love that he has for the city and the franchise," the coach stated.
Despite struggling for rhythm early in the season and going wicketless in his first three games, Varun Chakaravarthy has become a vital contributor during KKR's late-season resurgence, where the team won six out of seven games to stay alive in the playoffs race.