Countless youngsters dream of representing the nation but only 11 players can grace the field. When it comes to Indian cricket, the competition intensifies. The IPL deserves credit for nurturing a pool of talented young cricketers, enabling India to potentially field 3 or 4 international-level teams. Varun Chakravarthy is also among them who shone in the IPL and the performance earned him a spot in the Indian team. However, he suddenly faded away from the spotlight.
In the IPL 2019 Auction, Varun Chakravarthy, due to his outstanding domestic performance, was bought by Punjab Kings for a whopping 8.4 crore. However, PBKS played him in only one match, and he was released from the squad after the season. In the following season, the mystery spinner was roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders with a winning bid of 4 crore.
Unlike Punjab Kings, KKR played him in almost every game, and Varun didn’t disappoint his team management. The spinner scalped 35 wickets in the 2020 and 2021 seasons combined. Due to his outstanding performance in IPL 2021, he was given a massive opportunity, being included in the Indian squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup. However, the decision was criticized by many, as Yuzvendra Chahal, the prominent member of the Indian side, was snubbed to make way for Chakravarthy, who had played just one series before.
It is unfair to me, said Varun Chakravarthy
The tournament didn’t go as expected for Varun Chakravarthy, as he didn’t get a single wicket in the three games he played. India was knocked out after the group stage, losing against Pakistan and New Zealand. After the tournament, Varun was not selected in the Indian team again. Injury was cited as the reason behind his exclusion. However, he has denied it in a recent interview with Cricxtasy.
“It was very tough because right after I finished the World Cup, it was not a big injury; it was a very small injury. It just took me two or three weeks to be back on track, but after that, I got sidelined, and people kept giving the same excuse that I am injured, but on the other hand, I was not injured all that while. I don’t know, [if] it was just a rumour, or someone just wanting to spread this news about me so that they can sideline me. But that’s how life is; it is unfair. It was very hard on me.” Varun told Cricxtasy.
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We don’t know what BCCI’s plan is for Varun Chakravarthy after his underperforming stint with Team India. However, he had a brilliant IPL season in 2023, taking 20 wickets in 14 games. Meanwhile, KKR has retained the mystery spinner, and in IPL 2024, he will be seen playing for the purple-attired side for the fifth consecutive season.
