Varun Chakravarthy continues to battle through pain for Kolkata Knight Riders as the franchise pushes for a dramatic late surge into the IPL 2026 playoffs. Following KKR’s crucial win over the Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens, assistant coach Shane Watson revealed that the mystery spinner is playing despite carrying a painful foot injury that is suspected to be a hairline fracture. Varun once again delivered under pressure against the Mumbai Indians, bowling his complete quota of four overs and helping KKR tighten their grip on the game during the middle overs.

His disciplined spell came at a time when the Kolkata bowlers had already ripped through MI’s top order, reducing the five-time champions to 41/4 inside the powerplay. The spinner has reportedly been struggling since suffering an impact injury during KKR’s clash against Delhi Capitals earlier in the season. Despite the discomfort, Varun has refused to step away from the playing XI and continues to make himself available for every must-win encounter.

Speaking after the victory, Shane Watson praised the 34-year-old’s courage and commitment to the franchise. “All I do know is 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 during the post-match press conference.

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The former Australian all-rounder also highlighted how dramatically Varun has transformed his season after a difficult start to IPL 2026. During the opening phase of the tournament, the spinner struggled to find consistency and rhythm. However, as the campaign progressed, he rediscovered his confidence and once again became KKR’s biggest weapon in the middle overs.

“He’s still bowling beautifully. It’s been brilliant to see the turnaround from the first few games of the season to the impact he’s consistently having now,” Shane Watson added.

Watson admitted KKR are fortunate to have a player willing to put the team’s needs ahead of personal comfort, especially at such a critical stage of the tournament. “With the pain he’s managing, he could easily have decided to rest. But he’s desperate to be here and fight for KKR. We’re very grateful for everything he continues to do for the team,” he said.

KKR’s remarkable turnaround has become one of the biggest stories of IPL 2026. After managing just one win in their opening six matches, Ajinkya Rahane’s side has stormed back into contention by winning six of their last seven games.

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The victory over the Mumbai Indians kept Kolkata’s playoff hopes alive heading into their final league match against the Delhi Capitals. If KKR secure another win and other results fall in their favour, they could still complete a stunning qualification push despite their disastrous beginning to the season.