Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Abhishek Nayar has shown strong support for spinner Varun Chakravarthy despite his poor start in IPL 2026. KKR will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first home game on Thursday, April 2.
Chakravarthy struggled in the opening match against Mumbai Indians. He gave away 48 runs in four overs and failed to take a wicket. KKR lost the match by six wickets even after scoring 220 runs.
Nayar confident of Varun Chakravarthy’s comeback
Nayar said the team fully trusts Varun Chakravarthy and believes he will return to form soon. He also praised the opposition batters for playing him well in recent games.
“Over the years, he’s gone through a lot of adversity. As a franchise, as a support staff, we back him. I don’t think there’s any issue. But yes, teams are playing him well. It doesn’t mean he can’t come back. It just means it’s another challenge in his life, like he’s had before. And we are trying and we are hoping, and in every way backing him. I hope the fans of the world do too. Whether it’s this game or in the future, it’s inevitable that he will bounce back like he has in the past,” Nayar was quoted as saying.
Nayar also said that Chakravarthy is in a good mental space. He believes expectations have increased after his recent success with India.
“I honestly believe mentally he’s in a very good space – actually in a better space than he’s been in previous years. Yes, he’s accomplished a lot over the past year, which has increased expectations. Everyone always knew Varun Chakravarthy is a terrific bowler, but the expectation has grown because of what he’s done for India. Statistically, he’s pretty much bowled the same speeds that he always has. HawkEye suggests he’s bowled the same lengths. But sometimes players just play you better than what you’re doing,” he added.
KKR have always depended on their spin attack. They will need Chakravarthy to perform well if they want to reach the playoffs this season.
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