A field experiment was conducted at Irrigation Water Management Research Centre (IWMRC) Belavatgi, Navalgund taluk of Dharwad district under Vertisols during rabi 2014-15 to study the effect of irrigation and hydrogel application on chickpea varieties in Malaprabha Command area. Irrigation scheduled at 0.6 IW/CPE + 2.5 kg ha-1 hydrogel recorded significantly higher grain yield (1920 kg ha-1) as compared to irrigation scheduled at 0.4 IW/CPE (1648 kg ha-1). This was on par with irrigation scheduled at 0.6 IW/CPE (1867 kg ha-1) and 0.4 IW/CPE + 2.5 kg ha-1 hydrogel (1778 kg ha-1). Among the varieties A-1 recorded significantly higher grain yield (1894 kg ha-1 ) and was on par with ICCV-2 (1938 kg ha-1), JG-11 (1865 kg ha-1) and JAKI-9218 (1766 kg ha-1). Interaction effect of irrigation levels and varieties was significant. A-1 variety with 0.6 IW/CPE + 2.5 kg ha-1 hydrogel recorded significantly higher grain yield (2152 kg ha-1) and WUE (9.08 kg ha-1 mm) compared to other treatment combinations.