Vaun Chakravarthy has gone past two Indian spin maestros in the IPL 2026 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday (May 3).
After opting to bat, SRH looked menacing early on, courtesy of an explosive 61 off 28 balls from Travis Head. However, a spectacular batting collapse triggered by the KKR spin attack saw SRH bowled out for 165 in 19 overs. In response, KKR comfortably chased down the target of 166. Anchored by a steady 43 from skipper Ajinkya Rahane and a fluent 59 from Angkrish Raghuvanshi, the Knight Riders secured a crucial 7-wicket victory with 10 balls to spare.
The true story of the match, however, was Varun Chakaravarthy's spectacular redemption arc. After battling injuries that forced him to miss matches and lose his rhythm, the mystery spinner initially struggled upon his return, going wicketless in his first three outings. His relentless hard work paid off as he adapted to the evolving pitch conditions, bouncing back to claim 10 wickets in his subsequent four appearances. He picked up 3 wickets against SRH to turn the tide.
Facing a rampaging Travis Head who was punishing the pacers, Varun cleverly set a trap and got the Australian's wicket. Chakaravarthy consistently tormented the opposition's middle order with his variations, ultimately finishing his spell with stellar figures of 3 for 36 in four overs. His game-changing damage in the middle overs completely dismantled the SRH innings, rightfully earning him the Player of the Match (POTM) honor.
This sensational performance not only rescued KKR but also etched his name higher in the IPL record books. With this latest accolade, Varun Chakaravarthy has now secured his 8th POTM award as a specialist wrist spinner in IPL history.
Most POTM awards by specialist wrist spinners in IPL
13 Rashid Khan
12 Amit Mishra
8 Varun Chakaravarthy
7 Yuzvendra Chahal/ Kuldeep Yadav
4 Shane Warne
In doing so, he has officially overtaken his esteemed compatriots Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, who are currently tied with 7 awards each. The only Indian spinner remaining ahead of him is the veteran Amit Mishra, who boasts an impressive 12 POTM awards. However, the all-time list is still commanded by the Afghan spin wizard Rashid Khan, who sits comfortably at the summit with a staggering 13 Player of the Match awards in his illustrious IPL career.
