India kick off their T20 World Cup campaign when they face Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 23, with a strong spin contingent of Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel and Deepak Hooda. These players are slated to be an upgrade over Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy, who were part of their below-par 2021 T20 World Cup campaign.
And after being out of the fray for a while now, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner has spoken about the criticism that he has faced since his performance in the T20 World Cup. Citing the example of Virat Kohli, Varun explained how the biggest players come under the scanner due to a dip in their form.
“It’s okay. Everyone gets questioned. Even Virat Kohli gets questioned. If someone has not performed up to expectations, they will come under the scanner and that’s the nature of the sport. I can’t question that. My job is bettering myself day by day. Not at all, there’s nothing I could’ve done differently,” Chakravarthy told Sportskeeda.
The mystery spinner had a whirlwind 2021 IPL season, picking up 35 wickets. He was then retained for Rs 8 crores by the two-time IPL champions ahead of the 2022 season but could not reach the same heights in the next edition, bagging just six wickets in 11 games at an economy of 8.51.
The 31-year-old also revealed talking to Dinesh Karthik, who made a comeback to the Indian team after consistent performances in the 2022 IPL. He was a part of the team that won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 and now, he heads to Australia as one of the designated finishers as well as a wicketkeeper.
"He is now experienced at making comebacks, and he keeps doing it. His latest comeback is a very solid one, and it’s going to take him a long way in the blue jersey. He has talked to me personally about what to think and how to go about things. It’s definitely more mental than physical right now. If I’m able to align my energies and my thoughts in the right space, I think the doors will open,” said Chakravarthy.
