Varun Chakaravarthy IPL 2026 (Source: AFP)
Defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), will take on three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the match number 57 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Raipur.
RCB are coming into the contest after making a strong comeback from back-to-back defeats, beating Mumbai Indians in a thriller. The are currently placed at number one in the IPL 2026 points table with 14 points in 11 matches. They will aim to secure their berth in the playoffs by beating KKR.
On the other hand, after struggling in the early half of the season and staying near the bottom of the points table, KK have bounced back strongly with four consecutive victories to emerge as serious contenders for a top-four finish.
At present, KKR are placed at eighth position in the points table with nine points in ten matches, and they will aim to come close to scripting the greatest comeback in the tournament’s history.
However, just as the Ajinkya Rahane-led KKR were getting it right, there appears to be a bit of worry in their camp, as their premier spinner Varun Chakaravarthy seems to have aggravated his injury.
What happened to Varun Chakaravarthy?
Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy is a vital cog in Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowling unit. However, he seems to have aggravated the injury in his left leg, leaving one and all talking about his availability for the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur tonight.
Footage of Varun walking with a crutch and wearing a protective boot on his left leg has surfaced on social media.
From the footage, Varun, who sustained the injury while trying to stop a shot from Ishan Kishan during the Sunrisers Hyderabad game in Hyderabad on May 3, could be sidelined for a period of time.
Will Varun Chakaravarthy play today's IPL match?
On Tuesday, KKR assistant coach Shane Watson provided an injury update on Varun Chakravarthy ahead of the franchise’s must-win clash against.
“Varun Chakravarthy 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.”
Watson added that the franchise remains hopeful about the spinner’s availability but has yet to make a final call. “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 said.
Thus, Varun Chakaravarthy’s availability for today’s IPL 2026 match remains highly doubtful.
Virat Kohli starrer RCB prepare hard for in-form Varun Chakaravarthy in nets
RCB face a tough challenge against a Kolkata bowling attack that has found rhythm at the right time. KKR’s spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy has been central to their revival.
On top of that, the the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur offers assistance to spinners, especially as the match progresses. While it offers pace and bounce early on, it tends to slow down and wear out, favouring spin in the middle overs.
Thus, in a video that went viral on the internet, the RCB star batter Virat Kohli and Co. have been seen sweating hard against a Varun Chakaravarthy-like bowler.
A quick glance at Varun Chakaravarthy’s IPL 2026 far
After going wicketless in KKR’s first three matches of the season, Varun Chakaravarthy bounced back strongly by taking 10 wickets in the next four games. His turnaround has played a major role in reviving KKR’s IPL 2026 campaign, including a match-winning three-wicket spell against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Thus, with the Knights still needing to win all of their remaining games to qualify for the playoffs, they are expected to make one last-ditch effort to bring Varun back in the business end of the league phase.
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