Kolkata Knight Riders Coach Shane Watson Praises Injured Varun Chakravarthy for Commitment Amid Pain

Assistant coach Shane Watson has praised Varun Chakravarthy for continuing to play through injury as Kolkata Knight Riders kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a victory over Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens on Wednesday night.

Watson revealed after the match that Varun has been “playing through a bit of pain,” amid reports that the mystery spinner is carrying a hairline fracture in his left foot. Despite the injury, Varun has continued to feature for KKR during the crucial final phase of the season.

Against Mumbai Indians, the spinner returned economical figures of 0 for 28 from his four overs, helping KKR maintain pressure during the middle overs even though he went wicketless.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Watson praised Varun’s determination and commitment to the franchise.“He’s obviously playing through a bit of pain at the moment, which just shows how brave he is and how much he wants to contribute for KKR,” Watson said.

The former Australia all-rounder also highlighted Varun’s impressive turnaround this season after a difficult start. The spinner had gone wicketless while conceding heavily in KKR’s opening games but later emerged as one of the side’s most dependable performers alongside veteran spinner Sunil Narine.

Watson added that KKR were fortunate to have a player willing to push through discomfort for the team’s cause.“With the pain that he’s managing, he could have easily decided to rest. But he’s all in for KKR,” he said.

Varun’s injury has also reportedly come under the observation of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), although the board has left the management of his fitness to the franchise during the IPL season.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia stated that while the board’s Centre of Excellence physios continue monitoring player workloads and injuries, franchises are primarily responsible for player management during the tournament.

The match also saw a worrying collision involving Varun and young batter-wicketkeeper Angkrish Raghuvanshi. During the 11th over of Mumbai’s innings, Raghuvanshi sprinted toward a top-edged catch off Varun’s bowling and collided with the spinner just as the catch was being completed. The impact caused Varun to spill the ball.

Raghuvanshi later left the field in the 14th over and did not return to bat.

Watson confirmed that the youngster experienced neck pain, dizziness and headaches following the collision.“He ran a long way for that catch, but unfortunately the collision caused some neck pain, dizziness and a headache,” Watson explained.

The KKR coach also praised Raghuvanshi’s fighting spirit, calling him one of the toughest competitors in the squad. His absence was felt, especially given that he has been KKR’s leading run-scorer this season.

KKR will now prepare for their final league-stage fixture against Delhi Capitals on Sunday, with the team hopeful that Raghuvanshi recovers in time while Varun continues his rehabilitation ahead of the crucial clash.