Varun Chakravarthy breaks his silence on being ousted from Indian Cricket Team

Varun Chakravarthy last played a T20I for India in November, 2021.

India’s mystery leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy has opened up about losing his place from the Indian cricket team. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star bowler also denied the claims that he was injured, and instead Chakravarthy stated that there were rumors spreading regarding his injury and fitness issues.

After an impressive performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where he also took a five-wicket haul against the Delhi Capitals (DC), Varun Chakravarthy made it into the Indian cricket team.

The mystery leg-spinner, Chakravarthy, made his debut for the Indian side in a T20I series against Sri Lanka. His impressive run also took him into the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he was picked up over veteran leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.

The KKR bowler played three matches under Virat Kohli’s leadership in the marquee event, but the 32-year-old Chakravarthy was sidelined after conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2021, and since then he hasn’t returned to the national side. 

“It was very tough for me” – Varun Chakravarthy

In a recent interview with CricXtasy, Chakravarthy said that it was a very small injury and that it just took him two or three weeks to be back on track. He also expressed that it was very hard on him.

“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 Chakravarthy said.

Chakravarthy was retained by the KKR ahead of the IPL 2022 season for a massive salary of Rs. 8 crores. However, he had a forgetful 2022 edition where he only took six wickets in 11 matches. The 32-year-old blamed ouster from Indian side being one of the reasons behind his poor show in the IPL 2022.

“IPL 2022 was not a great season because what happened in 2021 after the World Cup got within me, and I was very desperate to be back in the Indian side. So I wanted to prove to everyone. I was being very desperate. I started changing many things in my bowling, which finally affected my mental peace, and I was not able to do my normal bowling also. So that IPL was bad for me,” he further said.

The spinner made a stellar comeback in the IPL 2023, picking up 20 wickets in 14 matches he played for KKR. So far, this is Chakravarthy’s best season in the prestigious league.

The Indian cricketer hasn’t played any game in 2024. He last played in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023 for Tamil Nadu. However, he is expected to be seen in the upcoming IPL 2024.

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