'Nothing wrong with him': Ajinkya Rahane defends Varun Chakravarthy's form
What's the story
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane has expressed his confidence in spinner Varun Chakravarthy's ability to bounce back in the upcoming IPL 2026 season. This comes after a disappointing performance from the bowler in the latter half of the T20 World Cup 2026. Despite ending as the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tourney with Jasprit Bumrah, Chakravarthy struggled with his economy rate and lost his top spot on the ICC T20I bowlers rankings during the tournament.
Supportive stance
Rahane backs Chakravarthy, emphasizes team's collective strength
Rahane defended Chakravarthy, saying he wasn't doing anything wrong but was just trying to pick wickets at crucial points in the game. "He's played so much T20 cricket over the past year... So a lot of teams obviously will try things (against him). Sometimes the conditions are not conducive to their style of bowling," Rahane said during the team's first news conference this season at Eden Gardens. "Sometimes if Varun doesn't turn up, someone else does," the veteran added.
Stats
Chakravarthy: Dissecting his T20 WC campaign in two halves
The mystery spinner claimed nine wickets across four games in the group stage of the 2026 T20 WC at a brilliant economy of 6.88, as per ESPNcricinfo. However, the challenge became stiffer in the Super 8s and knock-outs. Chakravarthy claimed one wicket in each of the following five games. However, he recorded economy rates of 10 or more in four of these matches, excluding Zimbabwe (8.75).
Key player
Varun's past IPL performance and KKR's bowling attack
Chakravarthy is KKR's third-highest wicket-taker in IPL history with 99 wickets (ER: 7.54). His partnership with Sunil Narine has been instrumental in the team's success, including their title-winning run in 2024. Rahane stressed that the team management won't burden Chakravarthy with unrealistic expectations and understands that even consistent performers can have off days. "So there's nothing wrong... The conditions and sometimes just the timing," he said.
Upcoming match
KKR's IPL 2026 season opener against MI
KKR will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Mumbai Indians on March 29. The match will mark the start of a new season for the team and its players, including Chakravarthy. With Rahane's backing and a fresh start after the T20 World Cup, Chakravarthy will be looking to make a strong comeback in this year's tournament.