Following a winless run in their first six matches, KKR's IPL 2026 campaign has somewhat been revived courtesy of three consecutive wins. As expected, at the core of their recent success has been the spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, the duo combining for 13 wickets at a strike-rate of 11.07 and an economy of 6.8 across their last three outings. Their clinical win over SRH on Sunday was further proof of how the duo have influenced the team's results in recent years, as their combined efforts helped KKR bundle out the hosts for 165 after they were strongly placed at 105/1 in the ninth over.
Varun's return to form has been a welcome boost for KKR, after the spinner had an underwhelming start to the campaign, and in the national colours earlier in the year. Excluding matches against the Associate teams at the T20 World Cup, Varun had bagged 11 wickets in nine T20Is for India since January at an economy rate of 10.29. Across his first three outings in IPL 2026, he returned 0/105 in nine overs, while also missing two games with wrist injury. Thereafter, he has bagged 10 wickets at an economy of 7.31; eight in the three wins, winning the Player of the Match award in two of them.
For starters, it's the timing of his introduction to the attack that has influenced the returns. His powerplay numbers for India in T20Is across 2024 and 2025 were impressive: eight wickets at 16.25 (ER: 6.84), but dipped in 2026: three wickets at 22.33 (ER: 9.57, 10.66 against full-member teams). Across his first two IPL 2026 outings, he returned 0/40 in two overs with the new ball, having been taken to the cleaners by Rohit Sharma at Wankhede and Abhishek Sharma at home. Since his comeback to the XI, the earliest he has been introduced is in the eighth over, with 15 of the 16 overs delivered in the middle-phase (he bowled the 18th in the tied finish against LSG, bagging the crucial wicket of Ayush Badoni).
Against RR, he displayed immaculate control over his length, his 3/14 in four overs featuring 2/7 off the 14 deliveries bowled at a good length. All his three wicket-taking deliveries were bowled in the 96-99 kmph range. Against LSG, it was more about reactive bowling paying dividends. Having conceded a six to Nicholas Pooran over wide long off, he shortened his length and pushed it further wide to have him caught at the short third-man, with three fielders placed in the ring behind point for that exact mode of dismissal. Badoni, whose go-to release shot against spin is the lofted drive over extra cover, was cramped for room from round the wicket angle.
His first two overs against SRH had gone for 29, but included the key wicket of Travis Head (61 off 28). Having hit for a six over long-off the previous ball, the wrist-spinner cramped him for room next, upping his speed by 10.6 kmph (104.8) to have him caught at deep mid-wicket. The 10 googlies he delivered in his first two overs cost him 24, while just two came off the nine in the latter two including the wicket of Smaran Ravichandran, who was beaten by length and in the air to one pitched at length at 92.7 kmph.
In a tournament that has seen the top-order being the deciding factor in team standings, KKR's struggles with the bat have been apparent. Their combined top-order average of 21.65 is the lowest among the 10 teams, the strike-rate of 141.45 only higher to LSG's 134.63, well lower than the overall tournament aggregate of 34.36 and 166.62 respectively. Amidst all of that, it's their spin twins that offer them a glimmer of a hope, as the tournament nears its business end.
