India, May 23 -- Varun Chakravarthy has battled through a variety of injuries over the duration of IPL 2026, earning the Kolkata Knight Riders management some criticism as fans and pundits wondered why he was being forced to compete through first a finger fracture, followed by a fractured foot.

However, Abhishek Nayar defended the decision by providing serious credit to the Indian spinner, pointing out how his decision to battle through injury was his own, and indicated that it was Varun's rare passion for the team that allowed him to push through the pain to participate.

"I just feel that when a player actually commits to playing when he is sometimes not at 100%, which I think most cricketers aren't," Nayar said in a KKR press conferen...