Kolkata, May 21 (IANS) Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) assistant coach Shane Watson commended Varun Chakaravarthy’s dedication after their crucial win over Mumbai Indians, revealing that the mystery spinner has been “playing through a bit of pain” and still played a vital role in the team’s bowling lineup.

Despite experiencing discomfort and reportedly having a hairline fracture in his left foot, Chakaravarthy delivered a disciplined spell during the middle overs. He concluded with economical figures of 0/28 in four overs, helping to contain the visitors in a tense, rain-marred match.

“Well, I’m not exactly sure of where he is on his rehab journey at the moment. All I do know is he’s 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 be able to contribute for KKR, and he’s still bowling beautifully,” Watson said in the post-match press conference.

The former Australia all-rounder also reflected on Chakaravarthy remarkable turnaround after a difficult start to the campaign. The spinner had endured a rough opening stretch, conceding heavily in KKR’s first few games before rediscovering rhythm and becoming one of their most dependable bowlers alongside Sunil Narine.

“It’s been brilliant to be able to see (Varun’s) turnaround from the first few games of the season (he had none for 105 after the first three games before getting on a roll), to then the impact he’s been able to consistently have every single game. And we are so lucky to be able to have someone of Varun’s skill and also his desperation to be able to be here, and to play for KKR, because with the pain that he’s managing, he could have easily just said, ‘look, I don’t want to be a part of this, I’m just going to go and rest it’. So we’re very fortunate that he’s all in, and he’s done a brilliant job again tonight,” Watson added.

The game also saw a worrying moment involving Chakaravarthy and young batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi during Mumbai’s innings. The incident occurred in the 11th over when Tilak Varma miscued a shot off Varun’s bowling. Both Chakaravarthy and wicketkeeper Raghuvanshi charged towards the ball, only to collide heavily as the spinner completed the catch before losing control on impact.

While Chakaravarthy continued, Raghuvanshi later walked off the field in the 14th over and did not return to bat during KKR’s chase. Watson revealed that the youngster experienced concerning symptoms following the collision.

“Angkrish, unfortunately… he ran a long way to be able to try and get that catch. And unfortunately the collision that he had with Varun Chakravarthy meant that he ended up having some neck pain, a bit of dizziness and a headache within a couple overs of that as well,” Watson said.

“So, yeah, unfortunately, he wasn’t able to finish off the game and I know how desperate he was as well. He’s someone who, he’s as tough as a competitor as I’ve ever met. So, we certainly missed him from a batting perspective,” he added.

KKR will now turn attention to their final league-stage clash against Delhi Capitals on Sunday, with the franchise hoping both Chakaravarthy and Raghuvanshi recover in time for another must-win encounter.

–IANS

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