Kolkata Knight Riders’ assistant coach, Abhishek Nayar has recently opened up on what the Team India selectors told star spinner Varun Chakravarthy when he was selected for the national squad as well. However, Nayar shared that Chakravarthy was told to improve his batting and fielding if he wanted to stay in the team as well. However, Varun played for India in the T20 World Cup 2021, where he bowled 11 overs in three games and took no wickets. India exited the T20 World Cup 2021 from the group stage, and Varun Chakravarthy is yet to return to the squad as well.
On the other hand, since the IPL 2023, Varun Chakravarthy has picked up 41 wickets, which is the highest for any bowler since then. In the IPL 2024, he was KKR’s highest wicket-taker and played a crucial role to their title win.
“Varun Chakravarthy performs every year in the Vijay Hazare [Trophy], everywhere, but I remember selectors telling him, ‘You should improve your batting, you’ll be able to make the cut; Improve your fielding and you’ll be able to make the cut’. That was the mindset. So he scored a few runs in the Vijay Hazare this time and sent me a video [saying,] ‘I hit two sixes, scored 40 runs,’” Nayar said on The Ranveer Show Podcast. “So players automatically start thinking like that because they know it’s a requirement. He has also improved his fielding. So, there are things that players work on because they know it’s a requirement that you have to do all three things, you can’t survive with just one thing,” Nayar said.
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However, he was one of the main persons behind Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) winning the IPL 2024 as well. And, after winning the IPL 2024, KKR players credited him as well. In the same podcast, he faced a question, that many may regard as taboo.
“Final topic, sex in cricket? Is it a factor in the lives of players?” the anchor asked. “Are you asking this in a positive way or negative way? You have asked a very open ended question. It will happen. Which human being will survive without it. But is it good or bad, is that your question? or your question is ‘kitna hota hai?'” Nayar replied to it.
“I want to answer this, but I want to see what you answer is with me telling,” the anchor replied. “It’s normal for anyone to do it,” Nayar then said. “It’s different for everybody. There is this constant fight and conundrum in every cricketer’s mind. Some people will like it, some will abstain. So, there is no thumb rule.”
Abhishek Nayar, apart from being the assistant coach, has also been the mentor and head coach of the KKR Academy as well. And, under his guidance KKR are expected to do well in future too.
