KKR spinner Varun Chakravarthy revealed that the first win of IPL 2026 for the Knight Riders led to a flurry of emotions in the dressing room. He claimed that such scenes were not seen even after their title triumph back in IPL 2024.
Kolkata Knight Riders finally broke the shackles in this season of IPL 2026, winning their first games after being winless for over six games into the competition. They defeated the Rajasthan Royals, one of the top competing sides in the competition.
Kolkata earned their first points in the competition, rose a spot to 9th, while the Mumbai Indians dropped to 10th. However, more than a win, this victory would add to the confidence that was surely falling out at one stage for the Knights.
I could see many tears today, which we didn’t even see when we won IPL 2024,” revealed Varun Chakravarthy
Kolkata Knight Riders star spinner Varun Chakravarthy revealed how the entire dressing room was in tears after the franchise finally managed to break their winless streak in the season. KKR secured a narrow victory by a four-wicket margin.
“Very, very significant (the win), I can say to you that I could see many tears today, which we didn’t even see when we won IPL 2024,” Varun Chakravarthy said during the post-match press conference (via iplt20.com)
Varun Chakravarthy added, “We have not been winning, and there are many outside noise that comes and which affects the players. But finally, we turned out on the better side today. We won the match. Yes, there are many places to improve, for sure. Because we started this tournament with many, as in many injuries, and it actually crippled us before even the tournament started.”
“I don’t want to make a sweeping statement and all,” Varun Chakravarthy keeps his excitement under check
The KKR mystery spinner opined that, though he bagged 3 wickets, giving away just 14 runs, he is not too excited about his strong performance. He does not wish to be carried away on his return, and noted conditions play a major role in a spinner’s success.
“Look, just because I have taken three wickets today, I don’t want to make a sweeping statement and all. That’s the nature of the game. Next match, if the wicket has nothing in it, that’s going to happen to every spinner,” Varun Chakravarthy said of his performance.
As you can see, initially, every spinner was travelling. So, that’s how it is. Once the pitches start slowing down, that’s how we start coming into the game, and we start being more effective. So, it’s the nature of the game, and we can’t change it. So, I don’t think much about that,” Varun Chakaravarthy added.
Do the Kolkata Knight Riders stand a chance to qualify for IPL 2026?
KKR have won one match and now have three points after 7 games. They have lost five matches, and with 7 more matches remaining in this edition of the competition, they would have to extend their winning streak to the next six games at least.
Winning at least six of their upcoming seven matches can help KKR secure a spot in the top four, as 15 points is often considered a qualifying tally of points; however, they would have to depend on other teams as well.
Teams like Punjab Kings and RCB have shown such dominance that they seemingly might not lose many games, making it tough for oppositions like KKR. However, speaking statistically, they possess the chance to qualify, but not much when seen from a rational point of view.
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