Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach Shane Watson explained why Angkrish Raghuvanshi was unable to bat during KKR’s successful run chase against Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. KKR chased down a target of 148 in 18.5 overs to win by four wickets, but Raghuvanshi—KKR’s leading run-getter of the season—was sidelined due to neck pain after an incident in the first innings.
Why Raghuvanshi missed the chase
- During the 11th over of Mumbai Indians’ innings, Raghuvanshi collided with teammate Varun Chakravarthy while the wicketkeeper moved in to take a high catch off Tilak Varma.
- The catch belonged to the bowler, but Raghuvanshi got there first, called for it, and went for the ball.
- Raghuvanshi couldn’t reach in time, and his head struck Varun, which led to a dropped catch.
- Speaking after the match, Watson said the collision caused Raghuvanshi to experience neck pain, along with dizziness and a headache within a couple of overs of the incident.
- Watson added that Raghuvanshi was determined to finish the game but ultimately couldn’t due to the discomfort.
Watson described the impact of the injury in candid terms at the post-match press conference, saying Raghuvanshi had to sprint a long distance to attempt the catch and that the collision with Varun resulted in neck pain and other symptoms shortly afterwards, which prevented him from seeing the chase through.
Late concussion substitute drama
Raghuvanshi’s injury triggered KKR’s need to bring in a concussion substitute, which created some late uncertainty during the match. KKR had initially confirmed Ramandeep Singh as the replacement, even posting the update on social media, but the substitute role later went to Tejasvi Singh Dahiya, who replaced Raghuvanshi. The sequence suggested that Ramandeep may not have been considered a like-for-like option by the umpires.
Varun Chakravarthy’s rehab and form
Watson also touched on Varun Chakravarthy’s return to action and rehab progress. He said he was not fully aware of where Varun was in his recovery at the moment, but noted that Varun was currently playing through some pain. Watson praised Varun’s courage and commitment, highlighting how Varun’s performances had turned around from the early part of the season and how he had been able to make a consistent impact game after game. He also underlined that KKR were “lucky” to have Varun’s skills available.
On the day, Chakravarthy remained wicketless, conceding just 28 runs across his four overs. Despite not taking a wicket in this match, he has picked up 10 wickets for KKR in the ongoing season.
Match summary: MI set 147/8, KKR chase successfully
- KKR won the toss and chose to bowl first.
- Mumbai Indians posted 147/8 in 20 overs, driven by a sharp cameo of 32 not out off 18 balls from Corbin Bosch, featuring three fours and two sixes.
- Saurabh Dubey, Kartik Tyagi and Cameron Green each took two wickets to help keep KKR in contention.
- In the chase, Manish and Rovman Powell led the run hunt, with Powell scoring 40 off 30 balls including four boundaries and two maximums.
- KKR reached the target in 18.5 overs with four wickets in hand, securing the win.
This victory kept KKR’s playoff hopes alive and came as their sixth win in the previous seven matches. With six wins and six losses and one no result, KKR sit sixth in the points table. Mumbai Indians are ninth, having won four matches and lost nine.
