Indian cricketer Varun Chakarvarthy in action. (FILE)
Varun Chakarvarthy who played a pivotal role with the ball in the recently concluded Champions Trophy 2025 has had his fair share of issues in the past. When he debuted for India in 2021 in the T20 World Cup in Dubai he did not have the same success at the time and India was knocked out without qualifying for the semifinal.
“After the 2021 World Cup, I received threat calls. ‘Don’t come to India. If you try, you won’t be able to.’People came up to my house, and tracked me down – I had to hide at times. When I was returning from the airport, a couple of people followed me on their bikes. It happens. I can understand fans are emotional,” Chakarvarthy said speaking on a Youtube channel with anchor Gobinath.
“But when I look back at those things and the praise I am receiving now, I am happy. I am not able to believe that all good things are happening in one go. I want to take it to the next level. I have faced setbacks, and I know how bad the criticism can be,” he added.
Chakarvarthy picked up nine wickets in the Champions Trophy 2025 including a five-wicket haul against New Zealand during the group phase of the tournament. “I think the Champions Trophy was a huge confidence booster because I played only four matches. And when I performed well in those matches, I felt I belonged and that there was a place for me. But I didn’t expect this success,” Chakarvarthy said.
“After playing the T20I series finale in Mumbai, I was preparing to return to Chennai. I even got the tickets for Chennai. But the next morning, I was told that I was in the one-day team too and was asked to come to Nagpur. I didn’t expect it. I didn’t take any clothes or anything for that. I asked my family to send me stuff to Nagpur,” he added.
