Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: It was a night of personal glory for Varun Chakaravarthy, who etched his name into the record books with a special milestone for Kolkata Knight Riders, even as the team’s struggles continued in IPL 2026.The mystery spinner became the first Indian bowler to take 100 wickets for KKR in Indian Premier League history, reaching the landmark during their clash against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. The milestone moment came in the 10th over of the chase when he dismissed Jos Buttler, triggering brief celebrations for the visitors.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Varun added another wicket soon after, removing Washington Sundar to go past the milestone and underline his value as a consistent wicket-taker. He also joined an elite list of bowlers to have achieved the feat for KKR, alongside franchise greats like Sunil Narine and Andre Russell.Overall, Varun now has 102 wickets in the IPL from 88 matches, including one wicket for Punjab Kings in his debut season in 2019.Narine tops the list with 196 wickets for KKR, which is also the most for a single franchise in IPL history. The West Indian mystery spinner is followed by Russell, who has taken 122 wickets for KKR, with Varun now third on the list.GT spoil the party with dominant chaseHowever, the landmark effort was overshadowed by yet another defeat for KKR as Gujarat Titans chased down the 181-run target with five wickets in hand, registering their third consecutive win of the season. The loss left KKR winless and rooted to the bottom of the standings.The chase was orchestrated brilliantly by Shubman Gill, who struck a fluent 86 to put GT firmly in control. His innings ensured the hosts dominated the powerplay and never allowed KKR to claw their way back into the contest.Earlier, KKR’s total was largely built around a fighting 79 from Cameron Green, who stood tall amid a top-order collapse. He stitched key partnerships but lacked support from the other end as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.GT’s pace attack, led by Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, had earlier set the tone with the new ball, dismantling KKR’s top order and putting them on the back foot early in the innings.For Varun, it was a milestone night that highlighted his growing legacy in the league, even as KKR were left searching for answers in a season that continues to slip away.
