BCCI Advice Ignored by Kolkata Knight Riders? Ajinkya Rahane Responds to Big Question
On Sunday, Kolkata Knight Riders’ hopes of landing in the IPL 2026 playoffs kinda ended before they even played their last league game. Ajinkya Rahane’s KKR fell out of the tournament after Rajasthan Royals beat Mumbai Indians.
After that, in spite of the rough finish to KKR’s IPL 2026 run, Ajinkya Rahane said he was supportive of the team management’s call to keep Varun Chakaravarthy in the mix, him being one of the key factors behind their late playoff push.
For those who missed it, Indian mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy had to manage multiple injuries, yet he still kept showing up for KKR in IPL 2026. His effort and steadfast commitment towards the franchise were noticeable across the season.
Head coach Abhishek Nayar and assistant coach Shane Watson also, praised Chakaravarthy’s determination to keep going on the field even with injuries, sort of especially when KKR made that strong comeback, after a really rough start to the campaign.
Speaking after KKR’s final league match on Sunday, captain Ajinkya Rahane said that Chakaravarthy played with a fractured foot only after getting medical clearance from the support staff. The 37-year-old skipper also pointed out the spinner’s big want to continue representing the team.
Rahane commented: “See, our team's physios and the physios of BCCI, NCA 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. 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."
Earlier in May, reports claimed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India, (BCCI) had questioned KKR for letting Varun Chakaravarthy bowl his full four-over spell, despite a hairline fracture in his left toe.
The spinner sort of picked up the injury during KKR’s clash versus Delhi Capitals on May 8, where he limped out the field , not long after. He also ended up missing the team’s pretty crucial encounter against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Later, reports came through, and it was confirmed that KKR’s medical staff handled the spinner recovery with extra care, in coordination with the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, and also the Indian team physiotherapists.
BCCI official said: “I know for a fact that KKR physio is in touch with Team India physio [Kamlesh Jain]. There has been a communication from KKR to BCCI that in a previous match, Varun injured his left foot while saving a boundary. It is understood that he has a hairline fracture. I believe as a centrally contracted player of the BCCI, his fitness is paramount and the BCCI medical team could intervene. Jain might be asked as to what was the input from the KKR medical team."
After a rough and disappointing 2026 T20 World Cup campaign with India, Chakaravarthy then also had a shaky start at IPL 2026. In the beginning, he conceded 79 runs in his first two matches, and couldn’t grab even a single wicket.
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To make matters worse, the spinner then somehow ended up with fractures in two fingers of his non-bowling left hand, which temporarily ruled him out of the action.
Still, the 34-year-old bounced back brilliantly, just 12 days later, against Chennai Super Kings. Since then he’s played a critical part in KKR’s late revival, basically helping the team win six of their last seven matches and staying right in the playoff race right up until the final stages.
No matter where KKR eventually finish, this late comeback is still one of the biggest talking points from IPL 2026. After failing to win any of their first six matches, the team showed real grit and resilience, and fought their way back into playoff contention.