Varun Chakravarthy bamboozles Riyan Parag in KKR vs RR clash

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) are currently up against each other in the 28th IPL 2026 match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, April 19. In this clash, Varun Chakravarthy is on fire with the ball as the spinner completely broke RR’s momentum.

Rajasthan Royals had a flying start at the Eden Gardens, as they reached 63 runs without losing a wicket in the powerplay, and it looked like they were heading towards a big total. But Kolkata Knight Riders’ biggest weapon, Varun Chakravarthy, turned the match on its head.

Riyan Parag left shocked as Varun Chakravarthy spins web in KKR vs RR IPL 2026 clash

The mystery spinner removed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (46) and then Dhruv Jurel (5) to put full pressure on the RR batting lineup. In the 15th over, the RR captain, Riyan Parag, tried to attack Varun. Even Parag played a reverse sweep and got a boundary against the KKR spinner.

However, Varun made a strong comeback on the next ball. The mystery spinner bowled a slow-spinning ball to Parag. And the batter tried to go for a big shot across the line, but completely missed the ball.

That's a jaffer by Varun Chakravarthy pic.twitter.com/s7JL0kmPOW

— Nickk Knight (@KnightNick34590) April 19, 2026

The ball went straight through and hit the stumps, sending him back to the pavilion for 12 runs off 14 balls. This wicket was a big blow for the Rajasthan Royals, while Varun got his third scalp of this game.

Read Also: 'Lucky to have Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in our team': Ravindra Jadeja makes bold statement

Varun Chakravarthy silences critics with stunning comeback

It was a remarkable comeback for Varun Chakravarthy after intense scrutiny and criticism over his performances for the KKR in the ongoing IPL 2026. In his first three games, where he bowled nine overs, Varun went wicketless, and people were questioning his place in the playing XI.

But in the last two matches, the spinner returned to his form with a bang. He scalped five wickets in 8 overs—four each against Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals. He and KKR must be happy that their key bowler has found his mojo back at the crucial stage of the tournament.

Varun Chakravarthy hits 200 T20 wickets milestone in style

During his stunning spell against RR, Varun has completed 200 wickets in T20 cricket. The spinner raced to 200 T20 wickets in his 155th match, becoming the 18th Indian player to achieve the feat.

The KKR mystery spinner has taken those wickets at an average under 22 and an economy below 7.7. He has taken 3 five-wicket hauls and 2 four-wicket hauls in his career so far. He made his T20 debut in IPL 2019 for Punjab Kings against KKR at Eden Gardens.

Read Also: Ravichandran Ashwin blasts Delhi Capitals and Axar Patel for mishandling Kuldeep Yadav

Riyan Parag's IPL 2026 struggle continous

On the other hand, Riyan Parag is going through a rough patch with the bat in the ongoing IPL 2026. The RR captain’s inconsistent performances have been hurting the team’s momentum this season.

Parag has struggled to convert starts, scoring 14*, 8, 20, 3, 4, and 12 across six matches for RR this season against Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Kolkata Knight Riders.

Adding to his struggles, Parag has also found it difficult to score against mystery spinner Chakravarthy. In IPL clashes, he has faced 21 balls from Varun, scoring 28 runs but getting out twice.