Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine spin KKR to third straight win, reviving playoff hopes

Key facts

• Kolkata Knight Riders beat SunRisers Hyderabad by seven wickets in the 45th match of IPL 2026.
• SRH scored 165 all out in 19 overs; KKR reached 169 for 3 in 18.2 overs.
• Varun Chakravarthy took 3 for 36; Sunil Narine took 2 wickets and completed 200 IPL wickets.
• Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored a fifty; Ajinkya Rahane made 43 for KKR.
• Travis Head scored 61 off 22 balls for SRH before being dismissed by Chakravarthy.
• KKR have won three consecutive matches after losing their first six.
• SRH were aiming for a sixth straight win and top spot on the points table.
• Nitish Kumar Reddy missed the match due to illness.

A resurrection scripted by spin

Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine spun SunRisers Hyderabad into submission, restricting them to 165 before Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Ajinkya Rahane completed a controlled chase. Three wins from three. KKR's unlikely revival has a heartbeat now. The Knight Riders, who had been winless through their first six matches and staring into the abyss, have hauled themselves back from the brink. Six points from three games later, their slim playoff hopes flicker – battered, but defiantly alive.

How Chakravarthy and Narine turned the tide

Opting to bat on a two-paced pitch, SunRisers came out swinging. Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head raced to 44 inside 3.3 overs before Kartik Tyagi provided the first breakthrough, cramping Abhishek for room. Yet Head and Ishan Kishan kept the foot on the throttle, taking SRH to a commanding 71 for 1 at the powerplay. Chakravarthy, who had cut a forlorn figure in the opening weeks, looked every inch the bowler who once made batting line-ups look foolish. He bowled slower than usual, teasing, tormenting and inviting errors. Head, already dangerous and having raced to fifty off 22 balls, was dismissed for 61 in the ninth over – a delivery bowled quicker and flatter did the trick. Suddenly, SunRisers began to wobble. Heinrich Klaasen was handed a lifeline when Rinku Singh grassed a catch at deep mid-wicket in the 11th over, only to squander it immediately, holing out in the very same over. Rovman Powell's catch was nothing short of sensational. Narine, who completed 200 IPL wickets on Sunday, chipped in with two wickets of his own. Together, the pair spun a web so intricate that SRH never quite found their way out.

SRH's failure to recalibrate

SunRisers, so conditioned to posting totals north of 200, failed to recalibrate after the double blow of losing Head and Klaasen in quick succession. With Nitish Kumar Reddy absent through illness, there was simply no one in the middle order capable of offering Kishan the support he needed. Smaran Ravichandran, on debut, and Aniket Verma found Varun's guile rather too hot to handle – the KKR spinner wisely gave the ball air, knowing full well that the generous boundaries at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium were very much his ally. SRH were eventually bowled out for 165 in 19 overs.

Raghuvanshi and Rahane steer the chase

KKR's chase was controlled by Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who scored a fluent fifty, and under-fire captain Ajinkya Rahane, who made a steely 43. The pair ensured there were no alarms, guiding the three-time champions past the finish line with something to spare. KKR reached 169 for 3 in 18.2 overs, winning by seven wickets. The victory was their third straight, a remarkable turnaround after losing their first six matches.

Wider context and stakes

SunRisers Hyderabad had arrived as firm favourites, eyeing a sixth consecutive victory and a maiden perch atop the points table. KKR, however, delivered a pointed wake-up call, stitching together a third straight win to announce they are very much still in this tournament. In many ways, the contest was a neat microcosm of KKR's season: scrappy beginnings, a moment of crisis, and then – almost from nowhere – belief. There was something different about this KKR – a hunger to convert half-chances that had been conspicuously absent in the first half of their season. It showed in every dive, every sprint, every sharp piece of work in the field.

What comes next for both teams

KKR's resurrection, once unthinkable, is now looking more plausible, at least for the faithful. With three wins on the trot, they have given themselves a fighting chance in the playoff race. For SRH, the defeat is a setback after a dominant run, but they remain well-placed in the standings. The Knight Riders will need to sustain this momentum, while SunRisers will look to bounce back and rediscover their winning formula. The IPL 2026 season continues to deliver twists, and both teams have much to play for.

The bottom line

• Varun Chakravarthy (3/36) and Sunil Narine (2 wickets, 200 IPL wickets) spun KKR to victory.
• KKR won by seven wickets after SRH were bowled out for 165 in 19 overs.
• Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored a fifty and Ajinkya Rahane made 43 in the chase.
• Travis Head top-scored for SRH with 61 off 22 balls before being dismissed by Chakravarthy.
• KKR have won three consecutive matches after losing their first six, reviving playoff hopes.
• SRH missed Nitish Kumar Reddy due to illness and failed to adapt after losing early wickets.