“Take the fight head on” - KKR spinner opens up on the contrasting personalities of Gautam Gambhir and Dwayne Bravo as mentors

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner Varun Chakravarthy opened up on the contrasting personalities between current India head coach Gautam Gambhir and current mentor Dwayne Bravo. He said Gambhir, who was the mentor of the side when the team won the title last year, urged players to take the fight head one while Bravo is a bit relaxed.

After successive seasons where they failed to qualify, KKR brought in their former skipper and player Gambhir back in the fold, this time as the mentor of the side. The two-time champions added another star to the crest, winning the 2024 edition of the league.

Following his impressive performances, Gambhir joined the Indian side as the head coach, and Bravo, who has played for the Trinbago Knight Riders, replaced him as the mentor ahead of IPL 2025.

When asked about the difference between Gambhir and Bravo's personalities in a pre-game show, Varun had the following to say:

"Gambhir's style is totally different. Take the fight head on, he says you should have the dogfight. Bravo is very chill. They are two different experiences but they are working out well."

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Varun Chakravarthy played a fine hand with the ball in hand for KKR against the Rajasthan Royals in their IPL 2025 match

Varun Chakravarthy bowled an economical spell against the Rajasthan Royals, restricting them to a low total. Source: Getty

After taking a beating in the first game, Varun Chakravarthy came in fine form after he registered figures of 2/17 in four overs to his name. He was introduced by skipper Ajinkya Rahane in the eighth over and struck inside his first five deliveries, dismissing Riyan Parag (25 off 15).

Varun would strike again in his second over, this time getting the better of Wanindu Hasaranga (4 off 4). He conceded only one six throughout his innings as KKR restricted RR to 151/9 and chased the target with 15 deliveries to spare.