In a very short span of time, Varun Chakravarthy has become a household name in international cricket. He recently made headlines after getting picked for India’s T20 squad for the upcoming Australia tour. The mystery spinner rose to prominence on the back of exceptional performances in the 2017 Tamil Nadu Premier League.
He was bought for a whopping sum of 8.4 crores by Kings XI Punjab ahead of the 2019 season. Unfortunately, he could make just one appearance that season. Playing for a new franchise in Kolkata Knight Riders in 2020 IPL, Varun Chakravarthy spun a web around the opposition with his array of variations. He played an instrumental role for KKR, picking 18 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 21.72. Though inconsistent performance from the team as a unit and bad decisions from the management didn’t help their cause and as a result, the franchise could not qualify for the playoffs this year.
For Chakravarthy, the tournament proved as a blessing as his vital performances helped him recently getting picked in India’s T20 squad for the upcoming Australia series.
Interestingly, Varun Chakravarthy made a successful career in Architecture and worked for a couple of years as a qualified architect only to realise that his passion lies somewhere. He went back to playing cricket and the rest is history.
“I went through a lot in the last few years. Had a poor start to the IPL, nursed injuries. But I never gave up. I had the belief that I would do well and it was only a matter of time. During that phase, family, friends, my fiancée, coaches and trainers supported me. That kept me going,” said Varun in an interview to TNIE.
Varun Chakravarthy starred in a Tamil film, called Jeeva
Not a lot of people know this but Varun Chakravarthy has also featured in a Tamil Film, called Jeeva, which was released in 2014. Interestingly, it was a cricket oriented film and was based on caste politics in cricket. Popular Tamil film actor, Vishnu Vishal played the title role in the film alongside Sri Divya, Soori and an ensemble cast.
Actor Jeeva played the role of a talented cricketer who was denied an opportunity in the Indian Cricket Team due to case politics in the game. But he didn’t give up and there and proved himself in the TNCA League games. However, a career-ending leg injury meant he switched his career into movies. Varun Chakravarthy was seen as a team-mate of the Vishnu in the movie. He could be visible for a very short time in the film. The movie was critically acclaimed and proved successful at the box office.
