Mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has described his three-year absence from international cricket as a challenging period, yet he credits his intense domestic efforts and new head coach Gautam Gambhir’s role clarity for helping him rediscover his form. The 33-year-old bowler, known for his deceptive spin, achieved his best-ever international figures of 5 for 17 in the second T20I against South Africa. Though his impressive spell put India on the brink of victory, South Africa managed to chase the target, securing a three-wicket win.
Reflecting on the last few years, Varun Chakaravarthy shared the struggles and resilience he developed during his time away from the national team. “Definitely, the last three years were a little tough,” he admitted. “The only thing I could do was play lots of cricket. I started playing a lot in the domestic league (TNPL), which helped me understand my game better. That’s really what made the difference.”
Chakaravarthy recently played under Gambhir’s guidance for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, a collaboration that has carried over to the Indian team. According to Chakaravarthy, Gambhir’s approach has been pivotal in his recent success.
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“Yes, we played the Bangladesh tour, and he was coaching the team. We spoke extensively, 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 need to do is look to take wickets—that’s your role in the team,” Varun Chakaravarthy explained, noting how this clarity has freed him to focus on what he does best: taking key wickets.
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In the second T20I, Varun Chakaravarthy’s devastating spell initially put South Africa on the back foot, reducing them to 66 for 6 while chasing a modest 125. However, South African batsmen Tristan Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee managed to claw their team back into the game with a resilient partnership, ending India’s impressive 11-match T20I winning streak. Chakaravarthy noted that despite the narrow loss, his team maintained an aggressive mindset.
“During the innings break, Surya (captain Suryakumar Yadav) told us not to think about the result and just go all out. We did our best, and we could have pulled it off. When defending a low score, the focus has to be on taking wickets, and that’s the approach I’ll stick to in the next games,” he said, emphasizing the must-win nature of the remaining matches.
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As he prepares for the upcoming games, Varun Chakaravarthy feels encouraged by his recent performances against South Africa. “We knew this would be a challenging tour; the Proteas are one of the best teams and have a powerful batting lineup. Doing well against them has boosted my confidence. I’m motivated to perform even better in the coming matches,” he shared.
India will next face South Africa in the third and fourth T20Is, set for Wednesday and Friday at Centurion and Johannesburg, where Chakaravarthy’s contributions will be critical.
