Indian Cricketer Varun Chakravarthy’s strong form in the 2024 IPL earned him a call back to the Indian national team after being out for a few years. He made a big impact with standout performances, highlighted by taking five wickets against South Africa in the second T20I at St. George’s Park.
In the second T20I in Gqeberha on Sunday, Chakravarthy grabbed 5/17 after taking 3/25 in India’s opening win at Durban. His success followed a 21-wicket season with KKR, where he helped them win this year’s IPL title, and his performance caught the attention of Indian selectors, especially after KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir became India’s head coach.
After the match, Chakravarthy spoke about the support he received from Gambhir, saying, “Yes, we played the Bangladesh tour and he was coaching the team. And definitely we spoke a lot and he gave me a lot of role clarity. He told me, even if you go for 30-40 runs, it doesn’t matter. All you have to look is to pick wickets. So that’s your role in the team. And yeah, the clarity which they gave definitely helped me.”
Chakravarthy’s five-wicket haul included key dismissals of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, but India couldn’t defend their total of 124 and suffered a disappointing loss.
Chakravarthy made his India debut in 2021, using his mystery spin and accuracy to earn a place at the T20 World Cup that year. However he struggled in the tournament and was dropped from the team, only getting occasional opportunities afterward.
India opted for Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel in the successful T20 World Cup campaign of 2021, but with Kuldeep focusing on Tests and dealing with injuries, Chakravarthy has been given another chance as a lead spinner.
“Definitely, the last three years were a little tough,” Chakravarthy shared. “The only thing I could do was play lots of cricket. And I started playing a lot in the domestic league in India. And that definitely helped me understand my game better. And that’s what helped me.”
A key player for KKR in the IPL, Chakravarthy has taken at least 17 wickets in four of his five regular seasons since 2020, including 41 over the past two years. At 33 he is looking to secure a place as India’s go-to spinner in T20 cricket.
