Angkrish Raghuvanshi (right) and Varun Chakravarthy collide while trying to catch. (Image credit: IPL)
New Delhi: Kolkata Knight Riders kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a hard-fought four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens on Wednesday, but the win may have come at a huge cost after top run-scorer Angkrish Raghuvanshi suffered a worrying injury during the match.KKR assistant coach Shane Watson later revealed that Raghuvanshi was suffering from neck pain, dizziness and headache after a severe collision with teammate Varun Chakravarthy while trying to catch during the MI innings.
The incident happened in the 11th over when wicket-keeper Raghuvanshi bowled towards Chakravarthy to take a high catch delivered by Tilak Varma. Although it appeared to be a bowler’s catch, Raghuvanshi called for it and rushed in, only for the two fielders to collide hard.
The collision saw Chakravarthy drop the chance, while Raghuvanshi looked visibly shaken.He was later replaced by Tejasvi Singh Dahiya as a concussion replacement for KKR and did not come out to bat during the chase.He watches: Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Varun Chakravarthy collide
Watson reveals how afraid Raghuvanshi was injured
Speaking after the match, Watson admitted the franchise was concerned about the youngster’s condition.“Unfortunately, Ankrich has come a long way to be able to try and get that catch.
“Unfortunately, the collision he had with Varun Chakravarthy meant he ended up feeling a bit of neck pain, a bit of dizziness and a bit of a headache within a few overs of that as well,” Watson said.“So, unfortunately, he wasn’t able to finish the match. And I know how desperate he is as well. He’s a tough competitor that I’ve never met before. So we definitely missed him from a batting perspective.”Injury could become a major concern for KKR as Raghuvanshi has been one of the most consistent batsmen this season during the late playoff period.Watson also gave an update on Chakravarthy, revealing that the spinner was playing through pain.“I’m not quite sure where he is in his rehab journey at the moment. All I know is that he’s obviously in some pain at the moment, which shows how brave he is, and how much he wants to be here to be able to contribute for KKR,” Watson said.“And he continues to bowl beautifully. It has been great to be able to see the transformation from the first few games of the season to the impact he has been able to make consistently in every game. We are very fortunate to have been able to get some of Varun’s skills.”
KKR survives tense chase
KKR’s bowlers restricted Mumbai to 147/8 after electing to bowl first, as Corbin Bosch’s unbeaten 32 helped MI reach a competitive total.In reply, Manish Pandey and Rovman Paul guided KKR through a tense chase as the hosts came home in 18.5 overs.This victory, the sixth for KKR in the last seven matches, kept the team in the qualifying race with six wins and six defeats and no results in 13 matches.
