Varun Chakravarthy seems to be at the peak of his powers in IPL 2025, and he put on yet another masterclass with the ball during Kolkata Knight Riders’ clash against Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. The mystery spinner continued his brilliant form, delivering two crucial blows that left the opposition reeling.
After sending back Josh Inglis with a beauty, Chakravarthy raised the bar with a dream delivery to dismiss Glenn Maxwell. The moment came on the very first ball of the 10th over. Chakravarthy unleashed a sharp carrom ball that completely foxed the Australian batter. Expecting the ball to turn away, Maxwell hung back and tried to punch it through the off-side.
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But the ball spun in sharply, sneaked through the gate, and rattled the top of middle and off stump—a delivery straight out of the textbook for any spinner. Maxwell’s horror run in the IPL continues to worsen. After being touted as a key overseas player, his returns have been massively underwhelming.
Varun Chakaravarthy, with a touch of magic, completely deceives Maxwell!
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In this game, he managed just 7 runs off 10 balls, his lone boundary doing little to ease concerns about his form. Since the start of IPL 2024, Maxwell has played 14 innings and accumulated just 93 runs at an average of 6.64, with five ducks to his name. Among the 75 players who’ve batted at least 10 times in that period, he has the lowest batting average—shocking numbers for a player of his stature.
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Understandably, fans didn’t hold back their frustration. Social media was flooded with criticism, with many questioning Maxwell’s place in the side and some even going so far as to call for his removal from the IPL.
For KKR, however, Chakravarthy’s spell was a shining light—tight, tactical, and tremendously effective, helping his side grab control at a crucial juncture in the game.
