Three-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner Varun Chakravarthy revealed that emotions were high in the dressing room after their first win. Indian Premier League Many players were left in tears against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 2026 season.
KKR had a tough start to the season, going winless in their first six matches, their worst ever performance, and finishing bottom of the table with just one point in a rain-affected game against Punjab Kings (PBKS). Sticking with the same playing XI, KKR opted to bowl first and their spinners ultimately put in a strong performance.
They restricted RR to 155 runs before chasing the target in the final over. The victory was achieved thanks to a record seventh-wicket partnership between Rinku Singh and Anukul Roy, who maintained composure under pressure. With this win, KKR moved up to ninth place in the points table, although they have played one match more than tenth-placed Mumbai Indians.
“Very, very important. I can tell you that I saw many tears in the dressing room today, which we did not see even in the year when we won the IPL in 2024. The main credit goes to the coaching staff because they did not let the external noise affect us. A lot of people were taking decisions which were completely baseless. At times like these, you need a strong core, and we have that,” Chakravarthy was quoted as saying by News 18.
Chakravarthy had every reason to be emotional, as he produced a match-winning performance with exceptional figures of 3 for 14, winning the Player of the Match award. KKR's bowling unit was under pressure throughout the tournament, especially in the absence of key fast bowlers like Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, Mathisha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman.
“We started this tournament with a lot of injuries and that actually crippled us even before it started, so I would like to give credit to the coaches, especially Abhishek Nair. If you are leading a team in such circumstances, you need a lot of courage. He has led the team in a very difficult situation. Slowly, step by step, a win here, a win there, we will be back on track,” Chakraborty said.
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