Var
Varun Chakaravarthy castling Harry Brook twice over a T20I series this year would echo in the minds of a cricket connoisseur for a long time to come. Even more than hearing the death rattle, it was Varun’s bowling smarts that stood out. In the first of those dismissals, with an open and crouching stance, Brook tried to defend with his middle and off-stump on display, only for the googly to sneak one through the gate.
The next time around, he was intent on covering his stumps versus the googly. Unfortunately, Brook went far too across and Varun rattled the off-stump. If there was ever a moment for a batter to just doff his hat off to the bowler and say – ‘You were too good for me, mate’ – then this has to be it. It also tells something about how Varun has touched spin-bowling nirvana in the landscape of T20 cricket.
Consider the ongoing T20I series between India and South Africa. Along expected lines, he bagged a couple of wickets in Cuttack, where the surface had enough assistance for the spinners. But it was in the second game where Varun’s skills shone brightly. On a better surface for batting, the South African batting unit notched up a two-hundred plus score. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya went at over 11 an over. Varun, though, took his two wickets at an economy rate of just over seven.
Varun is a banker for Suyakumar Yadav, the captain. He isn’t just a wicket-taker but can also stem the run flow. Varun’s bowling is also no more about having a slew of variations. He knows when to use what weapon, depending on the opponent and the situation of the game. As he imparts more overspin and extracts bounce, Varun’s offerings do hit higher up on the bat, making it tougher for the opponent to get underneath the ball. Varun also possesses side-spin, alongside becoming adept at creating the angles to befuddle the best in the business.
A little less than two years ago, he wasn’t even a part of India’s World-Cup winning squad in the West Indies and the USA. Time flies. In 2026, Varun will be Suryakumar’s go-to man in the World Cup as they look to defend the title at home.
