After breaking through the Tamil Nadu Premier League in 2018 with sensational bowling, Varun Chakaravarthy saw a steep rise in Indian cricket. He was soon picked by the Kolkata team in the Indian T20 League and followed up with a place in the national side for the 20-20 World Cup in 2021.
What followed however was an unfortunate halt to his international career as the Bidar-born bowler found himself out of contention for a long time. However having been named into the Tamil Nadu side for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the leg spinner has vowed to make a comeback to the national side.
When asked about the importance of SMAT the 31-year-old said, “Of course, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a very important platform for me. I’m sure that I’ll knock the doors down again because I’ve worked hard. Let’s see, if God is kind enough I’ll get the chance again. Yeah, exactly. I do know SMAT is going to play an important role, as well as the next Indian T20 League. In these two tournaments, if I do well, I’ll get the chance again.”
Chakaravarthy laid out his plans for the future saying, “Yes, I have my own aspirations from red-ball cricket, but it’s going to take some time. I need to work on my run-up for that; I need to have a slower run-up for red-ball. For T20s and one-days, I have a very fast run-up and it’s a little long. In the longer formats, I need to bowl 25-30 overs and I can’t be running in like that all day. So I need to make my run-up more economical and less energy-consuming. I’m trying to work on that, and if it comes out well then I’ll start focusing on red-ball cricket seriously.”
“You can expect a better player both physically and mentally. I’m definitely looking to play for the country. I’ll definitely make a good comeback, “said a confident Varun Chakaravarthy ahead of SMAT 2022.
