Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kept their hopes of qualifying for the IPL 2026 playoffs alive as they defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by a margin of 4 wickets. The bowlers shone, and even though hr did not get any wickets, Varun Chakaravarthy was also pretty impressive giving away 28 runs in 4 overs. However, he continued batting a niggle, as was evident with him limping while bowling. He was even replaced as the impact sub.
Speaking at the press conference after winning the match against MI, KKR assistant coach Shane Watson said that he was not sure about the rehab journey of Varun Chakaravarthy at the moment. However, he confirmed that he is bowling despite an injury, and praised him for his bravery.
“Well, I am not exactly sure where he is on his rehab journey at the moment. All I do know is he is obviously playing through a bit of pain at the moment, which just shows how brave he is, how much he wants to be here to contribute to KKR and he is still bowling beautifully,” Watson said.
KKR Defeat MI By 4 Wickets
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) continued their remarkable redemption and kept their playoff hopes alive heading into the final leg of matches as they defeated the Mumbai Indians (MI) by four wickets with one over to spare. Chasing 148, the three-time champions lost three wickets in the first seven overs, but a 64-run partnership between Manish Pandey (45 of 33) and Rovman Powell (40 of 30) ensured they did not falter. Corbin Bosch (3-30) was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors, while Jasprit Bumrah (1-26), Allah Gazanfar (1-25), and Deepak Chahar (1-23) took one wicket each.
After Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and chose to bowl first, KKR bowlers put up a stunning display as MI managed to put just 47 runs on the board. Bosch (32 of 18) was the lone shining light as Mumbai scored 51 runs in the last over. KKR took four wickets in the powerplay, with Cameron Green (2-23) and Saurabh Dubey (2-34) taking two wickets each. Later, Sunil Narine bowled an economic spell. Kartik Tyagi (2-37) also took two wickets.
