Ajinkya Rahane has defended the Kolkata Knight Riders’ call to play Varun Chakravarthy despite a hairline fracture on his left toe, saying it was done after assurances from the team physio that it would not worsen.
“See, our team’s physios and the physios of BCCI 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,” Rahane said on Sunday.
“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.”
Varun suffered the injury on May 3 in Hyderabad, when a straight hit from Ishan Kishan struck his boot. It was the third fracture he sustained in IPL 2026, adding to two finger injuries earlier in the season.
The mystery spinner is a centrally contracted India player, and his injury management involves coordination between the KKR medical staff, the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence and the Indian team physios.
Rahane said Varun’s willingness to continue despite the pain reflected his commitment to the team.
“Varun was eager to play. And he gets all the credit because you show how important the team is for you. Varun was completely ready. Yes, we had to give him a break in one match because he was in a lot of pain. But he thought he could play. That communication came from him.”