Follow UsVarun Chakaravarthy made his Indian debut in 2021, but it wasn’t until three years later that the mystery spinner became an integral part of the Indian setup. During that period, when he was away from the national squad, Chakaravarthy slowly built upon his fitness and game with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
It showed in the 2022 and 2023 IPL seasons, when the mystery spinner picked up 20 and 21 wickets, averaging 21.45 and 19.14. He was a crucial cog in the Knights’ setup during their successful run in the 2024 IPL season, where he worked extensively with the then KKR mentor, Gautam Gambhir.
It was no coincidence that Gambhir was responsible for bringing the mystery spinner back in the Indian setup, after which, there was no turning back, as he scalped 17 wickets in his comeback year, averaging 12.41.
"Gauti Bhai has also helped me a lot in my comeback, the way he motivates me. Even if we talk little, he has always given me good confidence and he has always told that "no matter who's going to ignore you, I will keep you in my plans for now",” Chakaravarthy told RevSportz.
“So, that kind of gave me confidence. And if you ask about Gauti Bhai as a mentor, then I would say he brings in a warrior mindset in the dressing room, which is very important and has worked for us at KKR and in the Champions Trophy," he added.
With days before the Asia Cup, all the white-ball specialists have spent quite some time away from the sport, but not Chakaravarthy, who was part of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). The spinner added that he used the extensive break and TNPL to prep up for the long white-ball Indian season.
"After the Asia Cup, there is a long streak of many white-ball tours coming up and they are challenging ones as well. So the primary goal will be to excel in all those tours, then hit the World Cup with good confidence and more clarity within myself and the process that I am trying to develop," he said.
Since his return, Chakaravarthy has been playing under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy, which he states is very similar to Rohit Sharma’s style.
"You give everything you have and it does not matter whether you win or you lose. And about Surya, he is someone very similar to Rohit Sharma - that is what I've seen. He is a very tactically sound, and maybe his time at MI Mumbai Indians has given him good exposure to great captains. He is a very good guy and never puts pressure on the bowlers. It would be a bowler's delight to have a captain like him," he concluded.