Kolkata Knight Riders have finally snapped their winless stretch, finishing the first half of the IPL season on a high note with a tense, low-scoring victory over Rajasthan Royals. For KKR, it was a hard-fought breakthrough in a campaign that has rarely felt comfortable—poor performances at times, and a string of setbacks that repeatedly seemed to go against them.
After ending the drought, the emotion inside the dressing room became impossible to ignore. Star spinner Varun Chakravarthy, speaking to the media, revealed that the atmosphere following the result was raw, saying he could see tears in the locker room. He also pointed out that such scenes were absent even during KKR’s title-winning run in 2024, underlining just how heavy the pressure had felt in the difficult stretch that preceded this win.
Chakravarthy stressed that the coaching group played a crucial role in keeping the team steady. In his view, outside criticism and constant talk from the sidelines did not help matters, and KKR’s success came from refusing to let those conversations change their mindset. He acknowledged that being stuck in a losing frame of mind is exhausting even for elite athletes, and that breaking out of it requires mental strength as much as match-winning execution.
“The main credit goes to the coaching staff because they didn’t let the outside noise affect us,” Chakravarthy said. He added that there had been too many people forming opinions based on assumptions rather than facts—an environment that can inevitably weigh on players and make it harder to stay resolute.
He also highlighted the importance of internal stability, arguing that the team needed a strong “core” to respond when results weren’t coming. According to Chakravarthy, KKR began the tournament already dealing with multiple injuries, and the situation worsened even before the campaign had properly taken off.
Among the key absences in the lead-up to the league phase were players including Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, and Matheesha Pathirana. Their departures, Chakravarthy noted, especially impacted KKR’s pace options. With the batting also struggling for rhythm and Chakravarthy himself managing injury issues that prevented him from being at his usual level, the overall combination created a tough environment to overcome.
Over time, though, the squad has started to find better footing, with players gradually regaining form and additional resources joining the group. Still, for Chakravarthy, the most crucial part was preventing morale from breaking completely in the dressing room—because once confidence fractures, it becomes far harder to climb out of difficult periods.
That is where he singled out Abhishek Nayar for special praise. Chakravarthy said Nayar had to step up and take responsibility in a moment when the team needed leadership the most, and that he did so decisively.
“So I would like to give credit to the coaches, especially Abhishek Nayar,” Chakravarthy said. “If you’re taking up a team in such conditions, you need a lot of courage. He has taken up the team in a very tough situation. Slowly, step by step, one win here, one win there, we will be back on track,” he concluded.
