In a thrilling seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane praised spinner Varun Chakravarthy's remarkable return to form, saying he hopes the bowler will "continue" his impressive performances. This win marked KKR's third of the season, lifting them to eighth place in the standings.
Chakravarthy, who had a tough start to IPL 2026 with no wickets in his first three matches, has bounced back spectacularly. After a mixed T20 World Cup where spinners struggled post-group stage, the mystery spinner has now taken 10 wickets in his last four outings, including a crucial 3/36 against SRH.
"Credit to our bowlers. They kept on taking wickets," Rahane said at the post-match presentation. "The bowling unit has been doing really well. Credit goes to our bowling coaches. It is all about planning and executing. As long as you are clear in your head, that is important."
The KKR skipper also highlighted the team's calm mindset despite a rough patch earlier in the season. "We lost those five matches, but the atmosphere was calm. We kept it really cool. Really happy for Varun. The way he came back was amazing. Works really hard. Great attitude. He has been bowling in the tough situations. I am sure he will continue his performance," Rahane added.
Chasing 166 for victory, KKR got off to a flying start thanks to Finn Allen's explosive 29 off 13 balls, which included three fours and two sixes. Allen added 84 runs with Rahane, who played a steady knock of 43 off 35 balls. Youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi also contributed with a calm innings to help seal the win.
Earlier, SRH won the toss and elected to bat first. Travis Head smashed 61 off just 27 balls, hitting nine fours and three sixes, while Ishan Kishan added 42 off 29 balls. At 105 for 1, SRH looked set for a big total, but Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine (2/31) triggered a collapse, bowling them out for 165.
With this result, KKR now have seven points from five losses and one no-result, while SRH remain fourth with 12 points from six wins and four losses. For KKR fans, the sight of Varun Chakravarthy finding his mojo is a promising sign for the remainder of the tournament.