Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane said the call to keep mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy in the playing XI despite a fractured left toe was made only after getting approval from the medical team.
Chakaravarthy picked up a hairline fracture earlier this month during KKR’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad after a straight drive from Ishan Kishan hit his shoe. It was the third fracture he suffered this season, having already played through two finger fractures on his non-bowling left hand.
Why did Chakravarthy feature for KKR despite a fracture?
Earlier, there were talks about how Chakravarthy, who is in the BCCI central contract allowed to play in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match despite a fractured toe.
“See, our team’s physios and the physios of BCCI and the Indian team, there was a discussion among them. I don’t get involved in that at all. That’s their department. My department is how’s the player’s mindset, does the player want to play or not, how big is the risk?” Rahane told reporters after KKR’s final league match on Sunday.
“Yes, it’s important to consider the health factor, to stay fit. Your injuries shouldn’t increase. Yes, we think about that. But the physios felt that his injuries won’t increase.”
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Even after suffering the fracture, Chakaravarthy continued to feature for KKR.
Since he is a centrally contracted India player, his injury management was handled with constant communication between the KKR medical staff, the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence and the Indian team physios.
As part of the usual process, IPL franchises keep the BCCI updated about the fitness of centrally contracted players, especially in situations where injuries could get worse.
Rahane lauded Chakravarthy's commitment
Rahane said Chakaravarthy’s decision to keep playing despite the pain showed how committed he was to the team.
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“Varun was eager to play. And he gets all the credit because in that injury, you show how important the team is for you. Varun was completely ready. Yes, we had to give him a break in one match because he was in a lot of pain. But he thought he could play. That communication came from him,” Rahane said.
“When a player says he can play, it sends a positive message to the physios and the team that he wants to play. He showed his eagerness to play. And the injury risk management was done by the physios. They thought the injury wouldn’t increase,” he added.
KKR's IPL 2026 campaign
Three-time IPL champions KKR finished seventh in the IPL 2026 points table, missing out on the playoffs. The Ajinkya Rahane-led side ended their campaign with 13 points from 14 matches (six wins, seven losses, and one no-result).