Varun Chakravarthy has been on a roll since his comeback to the T20I squad in October 2024.
His transformation from a side-spin bowler to an over-spin bowler — a style he worked on for over two years — has earned him rich rewards. So much so that the England batters have struggled to decipher his style and release point in the three matches of the current series.
His ability to target the stumps has left the batters dazed. Bowling at a consistent pace, he has been able to control his length forcing the batters to play some poor shots.
But Chakravarthy is no stranger to setbacks. Following a meteoric rise in the IPL, he was picked in the T20I side for the 2021 World Cup. He was benched following a disastrous outing in the UAE during which he failed to pick a single wicket in the three matches.
In 10 matches since his comeback in October 2024, the leg-spinner has taken 27 wickets at a strike-rate of 8.8.
It was the second time that Chakravarthy’s five-wicket haul came in a losing cause having achieved so earlier against South Africa in Gqeberha last November.
“No, I can’t, I can’t complain because that’s the nature of the game. There have been times, even when I don’t take five wickets, we might end up losing. So, I can’t complain,” Chakravarthy, who has broken into the top 5 among bowlers in the latest ICC T20I rankings, said after India lost the third game by 26 runs in Rajkot on Tuesday.
“But my job is to just keep focusing on what I can do, what I can perform for the team. And that’s all in my control,” he said.
Putting more over-spin on the ball has yielded rich dividends for Chakravarthy and he is also working on perfecting the flipper. Has he attempted anything new of late?
“Nothing new, but the work doesn’t stop because consistency is a constant work.
“As in, even if I can bowl a ball — a stock ball, I need to keep working on it, keep pushing it. I need to get nine-on-ten consistency. That work is always there. So, right now my focus is on consistency and line and length,” he said.
The Tamil Nadu spinner is also ready to take responsibility. “When you’re playing for the country, you have to take responsibility. I’m able to do that to an extent. I don’t complain. I’m ready for everything,” he said.
If he can maintain this consistency, his place in the T20I side is guaranteed.