Varun Chakravarthy, known for his impressive spin bowling with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), has shared a story full of rumors and mystery that led to him being overlooked by the Indian cricket team. After an outstanding IPL season in 2020, his career hit an unexpected turn after he debuted for India in 2021.
Chakravarthy was chosen over experienced spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav for the T20 World Cup in the UAE but played only three matches before injury rumors started circulating, causing him to fade from the national team selection.
"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," Chakravarthy said in an interview with CricXtasy.
"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," he added.
Feeling the pressure to return to the Indian team, Chakravarthy struggled in the IPL 2022, taking only six wickets in 11 matches, which was a big drop from his earlier performances.
"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 added.
As of 2024, Chakravarthy hasn't played any cricket since his last game in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Tamil Nadu. However, there's hope he'll return to form in the next IPL season with KKR.
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