‘Would have forgotten him if not for the IPL’- Aakash Chopra on Varun Chakarvarthy

The return of Varun Chakravarthy to international cricket has been absolutely amazing. He has been incredibly impressive in the Twenty20 International series against South Africa, Bangladesh, and now England since rejoining the India Blues over three years ago. Because of the 14 wickets he took in the five Twenty20 Internationals against England, he was rightfully named Player of the Series.

Aakash Chopra, a former cricket player who is now a commentator, lavished praise on the mystery spinner for his ability to perform thus far.

“You can’t look past Varun Chakravarthy when it comes to bowling. He has performed admirably throughout this series, taking wickets every time he rolled his arm over. Given that comebacks are challenging, Varun Chakaravarthy’s ascent is evidence of his strength.

Chopra believed that Chakravarthy’s recent international success was much influenced by his consistent play in the Indian Premier League over the last few seasons.

“Secondly, it demonstrates the IPL’s power. We mock it sometimes, and many claim that the IPL is to blame for the awful things that happened, yet without the IPL, Varun Chakaravarthy would have been forgotten. You feel at home because the pressure is nearly the same when he plays consistently in the IPL, performs well there, and then gets a chance here (in the T20Is),” Chopra continued.

You think it’s a little bit easier because you’ve already completed all of this: Aakash Chopra

Chopra went into detail about how the lucrative league had been instrumental in preparing Chakaravarthy for the rigours of international cricket beforehand.

“The vibe and the crowd are identical. The same batters are also bowled to. You bowl to Phil Salt in the nets, Liam Livingstone, and Jos Buttler there as well. You feel as though you’ve already completed all of this and that it’s a little simpler. You feel at least at ease. I am therefore really pleased for Varun Chakravarthy. He went on to say, “He is the only bowler from India to take ten or more wickets in a single series.”

India won the Twenty20 International series with a resounding 4-1 score. Now, attention shifts to the white-ball series’ 50-over leg. On Thursday, February 6, the first of the three ODIs is set to start.