- By Namrata Vijay
- Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:36 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
KKR vs RR IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders is currently facing Rajasthan Royals for their next IPL 2026 match at their backyard. The Rajasthan-based franchise batted first and had a flying start, but Varun Chakravarthy rattled their batting lineup, taking the first wicket for the hosts.
It should be noted here that the Riyan Parag-led side is batting first, where the openers stitched a partnership of 81 runs for the first wicket. At the same time, Varun Chakravarthy dismissed the in-form batter Vaibhav Sooryaqvanshi during the fourth ball of his over. The stay mystery spinner had bowled a lengthy delivery, which the youngster mistimed by playing a wild slog. But he was left stunned and was dismissed after scoring a gritty knock of 46 runs off 28 balls.
Varun Chakaravarthy Completes 200 T20 Wickets
This was a special wicket for Chakravarthy as he achieved the milestone of taking 200 wickets in the shortest format. It should be noted here that he has become the quickest Indian spinner to have achieved this milestone. He has surpassed Kuldeep Yadav's tally and has played five matches fewer than the DC player to have achieved this milestone of taking 200 wickets.
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It should be noted here that Varun Chakravarthy took his 200th wicket after playing in 155 matches, whereas Kuldeep Yadav achieved this milestone after playing in 160 matches. At the same time, Arshdeep Singh is currently the fastest bowler to have taken 200 wickets in the shortest format, as he achieved this milestone after playing in 151 matches.
Arshdeep Singh - 151 matches
Varun Chakaravarthy - 155 matches
Kuldeep Yadav - 160 matches
Jaydev Unadkat - 162 matches
Mohammed Shami - 165 matches
Varun Chakaravarthy Regains Form After Injury Setback
Varun Chakravarthy has had a topsy-turvy run since the last few months. It should be noted here that the star Indian spinner, who is preferred over everyone else in the bowling attack, was the joint-highest wicket-taker during the 2026 T20 World Cup, as he had taken 14 wickets.
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But he had taken nine of those wickets after playing in the first four matches. And in the next few matches, he was seen struggling and conceding many runs.
At the same time, he had a forgettable start to the ongoing season and failed to take any wickets in the first three matches. He also sustained an injury and missed a few matches. After that, he made a brilliant comeback and took four wickets after playing in two matches.
Varun Chakaravarthy Scripts More Special Records For KKR
During the IPL 2026 match against Rajasthan Royals, Varun Chakravarthy reached 200 wickets in the shortest format. In a match against the Shubman Gill-led side, he also took 100 wickets in this tournament.
When he dismissed Jos Buttler, he achieved the feat of taking 100 wickets for the Kolkata-based franchise. He has become the first Indian bowler to have achieved the feat of taking 100 wickets for the former champions. He has also become the third bowler to have taken 100 wickets for the Kolkata-based franchise and is just behind Sunil Narine and Andre Russell.
Sunil Narine - 214
Andre Russell - 124
Varun Chakaravarthy - 100
Varun achieved this milestone after playing 86 matches. He bowled at an economy of 7.65, joining an elite list in the tournament's history.