EXCLUSIVE — Varun Chakaravarthy: I don’t focus on being secretive now

Varun Chakaravarthy may appear calm on the field, but his mind rarely rests. “I think about how to improve 24×7,” he says, admitting it can be “irritating” for those close to him. But that’s just how he’s wired — constantly consumed by the game.

Over the last few months, the leg-spinner has been on a remarkable run. A key figure in India’s Champions Trophy triumph, Varun emerged as the team’s second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with nine wickets, thriving in the heat of Dubai. Yet, the 32-year-old isn’t getting carried away. “I want to see where I stand in seven months,” he says, his focus already shifting to what lies ahead.

Speaking from Kolkata Knight Riders’ team hotel, Varun reflects on his unusual path — one marked by late entry, multiple injuries, and a dramatic reinvention.

“My goal wasn’t a comeback. I just wanted to be more impactful,” he says, referring to the change in bowling action that revived his career in 2021.

An architect by qualification and a cinema buff by passion, Varun’s journey feels almost scripted. From school-level wicketkeeper to medium-pacer, from quitting a corporate job to becoming a spinner due to a knee injury — his story defies the norm.

Spotted in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, he rose swiftly, only to hit a rough patch three years ago. But he bounced back. With IPL in full swing, Varun remains grounded, chasing consistency and believing firmly that his “peak is yet to come.”

The last few months have been a roller-coaster for you. If you could take us through your journey and how confident were you coming into the IPL?

Yes, the last few months have been significant for me in cricketing terms, as I had the opportunity to play for the country and contribute to the Champions Trophy victory. And now that the IPL has started, I’m feeling good about the team and about myself.

In IPL, where wickets are different from one venue to another, how do you prepare?

At Eden Gardens, the conditions usually favour batters. That’s always at the back of my mind, so I prepare accordingly. Whenever I get the ball during practice, I make sure to train with that in focus.

I also set specific challenges for myself with certain batters in the nets. That helps me stay sharp.

Our head coach, Chandu sir (Chandrakant Pandit), and Bravo (Dwayne) have been very supportive of what I do.

You’ve been with KKR for a while now and are one of the senior bowlers. What kind of conversations do you have within the bowling group?

At Eden Gardens, the boundaries are smaller than most other grounds in India, so that’s always on our minds. We plan carefully, especially if there’s a longer side — we focus on how to bowl into that area.

The Powerplay is particularly challenging here. There are certain lengths you need to hit to get the most out of the pitch. Death bowling is another key area. A lot of our planning goes into how to approach the last five overs.

Sometimes the plans work, sometimes they don’t. But when they do, we usually end up on the winning side. That’s how it is — cricket is all about probabilities. You can never be 100% sure a plan will work. You just play the odds.

Do you actively work on adding new variations to stay ahead, or is it more about refining your existing skills?

Both. Around 80 percent of my focus goes into refining my existing skills, and 20 percent into developing a new variation.

Over time — say two to three years — that new variation gradually blends into my overall skill set, and I start refining that as well.

That’s the process: introduce a variation, then keep refining it. But the work on your core skills never really stops.

How do you ensure that batters don’t start reading you easily, given that most ‘mystery spinners’ eventually get figured out?

In the first two or three years, I used to overthink that a lot. But over time, I realised — even if batters figure you out, they still have to play the ball.There’s always a human element, and the pitch will always offer some natural variation. So even if they know what I’m bowling, they still need to get the timing right.

Now, I don’t worry about it much. The pitch, the human touch, and the element of surprise — like when I choose to bowl a particular delivery — those are things they can’t fully predict. That’s what I rely on.

Varun Chakaravarthy led India’s bowling in its Champions Trophy win, claiming nine wickets in three innings at an impressive average of 15.11.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS

You appear very calm and composed on the pitch, but do you carry your office back home?

I think about the game constantly — 24×7. Whether I’m waking up, in the shower, at the gym — whatever I’m doing, my mind is on the last match and how I can improve.

It can be irritating for people close to me because I’m often lost in my own world. But that’s just who I’ve become. And honestly, that’s what the game demands today.

India captain Rohit Sharma mentioned that you don’t use your variations in the nets. What’s the thought process behind that?

(Laughs) That’s not true. I’ve already clarified this before. It’s not that I don’t use all my variations — I do. It’s just that I sequence them differently in ODIs compared to T20s.

In T20s, I rely more on certain deliveries, while in ODIs, I use others more often. That’s all there is to it.

How do you balance the need to keep your variations secret while still preparing effectively for matches?

I don’t think there’s anything to keep secret anymore. Everyone knows what I bowl — it’s all out there in the media and video analysis.

I rely more on the natural variation from the pitch and my own decision-making — knowing what to bowl and when.

So no, I don’t focus on being secretive now.

You started late and didn’t come through the age-group or domestic system. Without that base to fall back on, how did you manage to bounce back so quickly after setbacks?

I didn’t play age-group cricket at all — I started playing seriously only at 26. But since then, I’ve played a lot of domestic matches. The last two Vijay Hazare seasons, in particular, helped me prepare for the Champions Trophy. Whenever I’m not playing international cricket, I’m playing domestic games. I believe the quality of domestic cricket in India is very high. Some domestic sides could beat international teams on their day. You have to stay sharp — there’s no room to take it lightly. For me, that’s the real preparation ground.

Any specific aspects that you have learned from your domestic experiences?

Domestic batters are excellent against spin and can hit you anywhere. What helped me prepare was learning how to outsmart them and stay ahead. If you can dominate such batters, you’ll naturally do well in international cricket too. These experiences and exposures have played a key role in my development.

Varun Chakravarthy has been KKR’s key spin bowler, alongside Sunil Narine.
| Photo Credit:
B JOTHI RAMALINGAM

Are you a believer in planning things for the long-term or do you take it step-by-step?

I’m definitely a long-term planner. The foundation for this phase was laid in 2021 when I switched my bowling from side-spin to over-spin. That journey began four years ago, and I believe in the next six to seven months, I’ll reach my peak. After that, wherever life takes me, I’m open to it. Once I reach that point, I’ll have more time to focus on my batting and other aspects. But right now, my priority is bowling. If I don’t bowl well, no matter how fit I am or how much I improve my batting, it won’t matter. I need to be the best version of myself as a bowler. That’s when I can build on other things.

In 2021, when you changed that action, how challenging was it?

It’s all about putting in the volume. I started practising for two to three hours a day, bowling 200-300 balls daily. It was a long journey.

Every day, I’d wake up at 5:30 am and head to practice. After 2021, I didn’t know if I’d ever get another call for the Indian team. I had no clear direction then. But I kept pushing myself, telling myself that if I could perfect this new technique I was working on, I’d become a more impactful bowler. That was my only goal — not to make a comeback, but to become a better bowler.

And it’s working out so far. I’m still excited to see where I stand in the next seven months. I’m waiting for that time.