Varun Chakaravarthy vs Kuldeep Yadav - comparing their stats after 80 IPL matches

A riveting battle between spin wizards Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy is one of the most compelling elements in the upcoming 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) clash between the Delhi Capitals (DC) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The match is scheduled to take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, April 29.

The pair played a huge part in Team India's 2025 Champions Trophy ahead of the IPL, often bowling in tandem and dominating the middle overs. They also shared the dressing room once in the IPL, but this time around, they are pitted against each other.

Kuldeep Yadav is enjoying a solid season so far, with 12 wickets in nine matches at an economy of just 6.55. Varun Chakaravarthy is also having a decent campaign despite KKR's misfortunes. He has 11 wickets in nine matches at an economy of 6.85. As far as this season is concerned, their stats are eerily similar to each other.

On that note, let us take a look at the stats of Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav after 80 IPL matches.

#1 Wickets

Both Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav thrive on their variations. They keep the batters on the edge with impeccable proficiency across all of the deliveries in their arsenal. Although the ways of operating may be different, but it has proven to be effective, especially when wicket-taking is considered. Many batters have perished after failing to read the variation or in an unsuccessful attempt to take them on.

Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav are inching closer to the 100th wicket mark in the IPL. But when the 80th appearance threshold is considered, the KKR mystery spinner leads by 11 scalps.

The gap between the pair's wicket-tally was actually non-existent after the 50th appearance mark, as were both level at 51 wickets apiece. While Chakaravarthy exploded after that, Kuldeep Yadav largely regressed, courtesy of a forgettable 2023 season.

Player Name	Wickets
Varun Chakaravarthy	94
Kuldeep Yadav	83

#2 Average and Economy

A difference in economy and average was a given as far as these two spinners were considered, since they have different profiles from one another. Chakaravarthy, relying on accuracy and a flatter trajectory, was expected to have a better economy, and he does, but not by a very huge margin.

The risk of conceding runs is always there with Kuldeep Yadav since he is accustomed to taking risks by lighting the ball, along with a lesser degree of accuracy when compared to Chakaravarthy. But it is to be noted that the wrist spinner has not been at his consistent best in the IPL over the years.

Kuldeep Yadav has had several prolific seasons, but those highs come with equally demoralising lows, especially when his final years with KKR are taken into account.

While he has an average and economy of 21.25 and 7.43 in T20 cricket, the figures are far higher when only the IPL section of his T20 career is carved out.

Player Name	Average	Economy
Varun Chakaravarthy	23.85	7.48
Kuldeep Yadav	27.04	8.16

#3 Stats for KKR

A common ground connecting both Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav is the fact that they have both donned the iconic Purple and Gold. While the former is still going strong after switching from the Kings XI Punjab (now renamed to Punjab Kings), the latter's one-promising stint with KKR came to an ugly end after the 2021 season.

There is understandably a negligible difference between Varun Chakaravarthy's overall numbers, and his KKR stats, because he just played one match for his former franchise.

Almost half of the matches Kuldeep Yadav has played in the IPL have come for KKR. Despite a poor set of campaigns in 2019 and 2020, where he picked up only five wickets in 14 matches, the wrist spinner's numbers for KKR are decent. In 45 matches, he has taken 40 wickets at a better average than his overall IPL one.