Follow UsVarun Chakaravarthy, ever since the end of IPL 2024, has been a totally different bowler, asking questions repetitively and consistently trying to outfox them.
Since April 2024, the 32-year-old has taken 71 wickets in 40 T20s at an average of 15.6, miles ahead of his career average of 21.2. Thus, he has shown that he is in a different world altogether.
Even in List A cricket, the Tamil Nadu spinners' improvement has been phenomenal, even resulting in a place in India’s playing 11 in the all-important ICC Champions Trophy 2025 winning squad.
Since April 2024, he has 28 wickets in 10 matches, including three five-wicket hauls. Chakaravarthy’s List A average of 14.6 in that period is once again the highlight of his performance.
So, what did the mystery spinner do to achieve such impressive results in the last year? The answer lies in not being focussed on making a comeback as he had had a torrid time in the two years before that, picking up just 39 wickets in 35 T20s.
“My goal wasn’t a comeback. I just wanted to be more impactful,” Sportstar quoted Chakaravarthy as saying.
He is also grounded because he doesn’t think too far ahead of himself, but always plans in detail without worrying too much about the results.
“I’m definitely a long-term planner. The foundation for this phase was laid in 2021 when I switched my bowling from side-spin to over-spin. That journey began four years ago,” he said, before delving into details of what all went on behind the scenes.
“Every day, I’d wake up at 5:30 am and head to practice. After 2021, I didn’t know if I’d ever get another call for the Indian team. I had no clear direction then. But I kept pushing myself, telling myself that if I could perfect this new technique I was working on, I’d become a more impactful bowler. That was my only goal — not to make a comeback, but to become a better bowler,” added the man, who has picked up nine wickets in 11 games and is the highest wicket-taker for KKR in IPL 2025 so far.