Kolkata, April 19 (IANS)Varun Chakaravarthy etched his name in the history books as he became the fastest Indian spinner to reach 200 wickets in T20 cricket on Sunday.

The landmark came during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash between his side, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Eden Gardens, where Chakravarthy struck in his very first over. He removed young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who mistimed a big shot off a well-flighted delivery and was caught in the deep by Ramandeep Singh.

That wicket not only gave KKR an early breakthrough but also took Chakravarthy past the 200-wicket mark in record time among all Indian spinners in T20 cricket.

Chakravarthy went on to finish with outstanding figures of 3 for 14, also dismissing Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal to break the backbone of the Rajasthan Royals’ batting line-up. His spell proved decisive in controlling the match as RR scored just 159 runs in 20 overs.

Across Indian bowlers in T20 cricket, only a few have reached the 200-wicket milestone quickly, but Chakravarthy stands out as the fastest spinner to do so. He reached the landmark in just 155 innings, ahead of several established names in Indian cricket.

His nearest challengers include Kuldeep Yadav, who reached the mark in 160 innings, followed by Jaydev Unadkat in 162 and Mohammed Shami in 165. Arshdeep Singh remains the only Indian to get there faster overall by taking just 151 innings, but among spinners, Chakravarthy now sits at the very top.

Across his IPL career, Chakravarthy has taken 105 wickets in 89 matches at an average of 24.17, with an economy rate of 7.65. In the current season, he has picked up five wickets in five games at an average of 30.60. In T20Is, he has claimed 73 wickets from 45 matches at 16.61 apiece with an economy of 7.55, including two five-wicket hauls for India

–IANS

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