‘Should not have bowled in powerplay’ – Irfan Pathan on Varun Chakravarthy’s struggles vs SRH

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has spoken of Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane’s role in maintaining the form of mystery-spinner Varun Chakravarthy, claiming he needs to be better at managing his star bowler.

Varun comes into IPL 2026 on the back of a poor T20 World Cup, where, despite being the joint-highest wicket-taker, he was taken for runs, with batters finding it much easier to play him. He has continued that form into the IPL, going for 79 runs in the eight overs he bowled against the Mumbai Indians and the Sunrisers Hyderabad, without picking up any wickets, as KKR lost both games.

Varun was brought in to bowl in the powerplay against Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who were motoring along. Pathan spoke of how skipper Rahane must support the bowler, in his tough moments, understanding when he should be brought in.

“A captain plays a vital role in boosting a bowler’s confidence. If he doesn’t support you at a moment when you feel you can perform better or when you have momentum, that is where leadership is tested. This is why Varun Chakravarthy should not have bowled in the powerplay,” Pathan said during a discussion on ESPNCricinfo.

He further added that this would end with losing a key bowler by not giving him that room to make his recovery from the poor spell. Pathan believes that Rahane’s mismanagement of Varun was costly, ruining his rhythm.

“You are potentially losing a bowler who should be your trump card and match-winner. By thrusting him into such a high-pressure situation, you make his recovery even harder. While Ajinkya Rahane adjusted well in the second half, he compromised Varun’s rhythm by mismanaging him during those opening overs,” he concluded.

The Kolkata Knight Riders have lost both their opening games of the 2026 IPL season; the Tamil Nadu spinner getting himself back to form would be key for their chances of trying to recover their season. They host the Punjab Kings on April 06 at the Eden Gardens in a bid to reverse their fortunes.