Coming into IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowling was hampered by injuries with Harshit Rana, Akash Deep and Matheesha Pathirana all missing in action or ruled out for the entirety of the season. The laundry list of injuries forced the 2024 champions to rely on replacements and inexperienced bowlers. What also went against them was the struggles of their spin twins Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine which left them winless after the first six games of the season.The side’s poor run coincided with Chakaravarthy’s form leaving the mystery spinner wicketless in his first three games before he sat out the next couple of games due to an injury. After returning to the team on April 17 vs Gujarat Titans, Chakaravarthy looked to have found his rhythm again, picking up his first wicket of the season and finishing the game with figures of 2/32. Although Kolkata lost the game, the signs of improvement were there for everyone to see.Chakaravarthy followed it up with a magical spell of 3/14 against the Rajasthan Royals at home and then followed it up with 2 wickets vs Lucknow Super Giants. On Sunday, against the high-flying SRH batting order, Chakaravarthy, who finished with figures of 3/36, kept his composure, despite not starting well in his first over.“Varun bhaiya had a tough start to the season,” acknowledged Angkrish Raghuvanshi after the match against SRH. We know his magic, and when he is in his element, I don’t think any batter can play him,” Raghuvanshi added.Chakaravarthy’s heroics went a long way in Kolkata triggering a collapse in the SRH ranks with the home team failing to take advantage of a blistering start.Also Read | Varun Chakaravarthy has his revenge as KKR breezily end SRH’s winning run“Chakravarthy was able to take wickets even after we put him under pressure in those first couple of overs,” said SRH Head Coach Daniel Vettori.”I think they found a length with the spinners in particular, and wickets in T20 games in the IPL are the biggest currency, and that’s what they managed to do the whole time,” the former New Zealand spinner added.A growing perception among teams, pundits and batters regarding Chakarvarthy’s poor form was that if the 34-year-old is attacked early in his spell, he increases his pace under pressure. However, that was not the case on Sunday. Although SRH batters tried to apply pressure, Chakaravarthy continued to vary his pace on his own terms.Story continues below this adSimilar to Chakaravarthy, Narine, who took scalps for 31 runs, also did not start his spell by taking the new ball against the left-hand heavy SRH top order in the powerplay. The West Indian dragged his length too short to start which enabled both Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head to get going. But once the ball got older and softer, Narine got his grip on the ball better and his execution was finer.“As the ball got older, I think it was probably more the softness of the ball rather than the pitch,” Vettori said. “It’s two world-class spinners who’ve plied their trade for a long time and been so successful for KKR. And then the wicket just held up enough,” Vettori added.Vettori also analysed the SRH batting plan, which did not work out. “We had an opportunity just to get through that period to try and set up for the last four, five overs once the spinners had finished their allotment of overs. But just the losing of wickets at crucial times and probably the manner as well, where we had the opportunity, as you said, to get through that period and to lose those wickets. And that fashion just held us back,” he said.Whenever KKR have won games, Chakaravarthy has played a key part by picking 73 wickets at an average of just 15.37, compared to losing, where the wickets tally drops down to 33, and the average goes up to 42.73. This is a similar tale to Narine, who has picked up 120 wickets at an average of 22.43 and 79 wickets at an average of 30.08.Tanishq Vaddi is a Sports Writer with the online team of The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. He primarily covers cricket and is known for his in-depth analysis and technical reporting on the game. Professional Background Role: He covers a wide range of cricketing action, including international matches (Tests, T20Is), domestic tournaments (Challenger Trophy), and major cricket leagues (IPL, WPL). Education: Tanishq holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from MVSR Engineering College and a PG Diploma in English Journalism (Print) from the Asian School of Journalism. Experience: Before joining The Indian Express in late 2022, he gained experience covering the startup ecosystem at YourStory and worked as a copywriter at Story Digital. Key Areas of Coverage Tanishq’s writing often focuses on the technical and psychological aspects of cricket. His notable work includes: Technical Analysis: Explaining bowling actions (e.g., Simon Harmer’s bounce) and batting techniques (e.g., Ben Duckett’s sweep shot). Interviews: He has interviewed prominent figures such as former England player Nick Knight, bowling coach Rajib Datta, and mental health coach Paddy Upton. Statistical Comparisons: Detailed career analysis, such as comparing Shubman Gill’s early career stats with legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Regional Cricket: Reporting on developments in South Indian cricket, including the appointment of Gary Stead as the head coach for Andhra. Notable Recent Articles "IND vs SA 2nd Test: How did Simon Harmer beat Yashasvi Jaiswal with bounce?" (Nov 2025) "2026 Under-19 World Cup: Bowling coach outlines India's preparation" (Nov 2025) "Nick Knight interview: Joe Root will score big runs in Australia" (Nov 2025) "Gary Stead appointed as head coach for Andhra for the 25/26 season" (Sept 2025) "Jason Gillespie explains what makes Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins so special, and why reverse swing will be key with Kookaburra ball" You can follow his latest reports on the Indian Express website or via his Twitter handle @TanishqVaddi. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd