Varun Chakravarthy has taken 7 wickets in just two games in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. What makes this new version of Varun so special?
If you were stuck to your television during the India vs New Zealand or the semi-final played between India and Australia in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025, you must have seen how the India mystery bowler, Varun Chakravarthy, befuddled the opposition batters with his variations. That was redemption. Redemption of a bowler who was hammered for 33 runs in his four overs with no wickets against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2021, where Pak openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan treated him like a club bowler. After going wicketless in the next game against New Zealand in the same tournament, fans and critics claimed that the ‘so-called mystery’ of Varun had fizzled out.
Notwithstanding the setback, the spinner returned to the grind of domestic cricket and took regular wickets for the IPL's Tamil Nadu and Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. Last year, he made a spectacular comeback, taking three wickets for 31 in India's first T20I victory over Bangladesh. It is a comeback straight out of a fairy tale that is getting better every day.
However, fans had the privilege to watch Varun Chakaravarthy 2.0 on March 2 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, making a smashing return to a venue where he once failed to pick a wicket across three games in a World Cup. Life came full circle for the architect-turned-cricketer. Fielded as the fourth spinner on a turning pitch, the 33-year-old destroyed the Kiwi batting line-up, taking five for 42 in eight overs, thus burying the ghosts of 2021 forever, as he helped India canter to an emphatic 44-run victory. Read More: SA vs IND: Varun Chakravarthy turns the page in remarkable fashion
Two days later, the mystery spinner again wreaked havoc as India took on the mighty Australians in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy. Varun picked up two wickets in his 10-over spell. But wait, one of the wickets was of Australia opener, Travis Head. Yes, the same batter who shattered the dreams of crores of Indians in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
It was just the second ball of his spell, and his first to Head, when he got the dangerous left-handed batter out. A tossed-up ball, which led to Head going for the lofted shot and getting caught in the long-off. Also, it was the first time that Head got out to a spinner in the first ten overs in ODIs. Thus, Varun Chakravarthy, for all his excellence and accuracy, deserves an applause.
Varun Chakravarthy Reinventing the art of spin
What changed for Varun, that once discarded bowler, is now discarding the opposition like a deck of cards. It’s his transformation from a mystery spinner to a well-rounded leg-spinner. Mystery spinners are impactful until the opposition could not read their mystery. Varun certainly understood that the mystery wouldn’t last long. He, who relied heavily on side spin, is now mastering over-spin. The success of "Varun 2.0" can surely be attributed largely to this shift, which has refined his craft and given him greater control.
His well-disguised googly has been a headache for the batters. Another top-class delivery has been the leg break. His leg breaks and googlies usually come at a speed of around 95 kph, and suddenly he unleashes a delivery exceeding 110 kph, one that accounted for England’s best batter of the series, Jos Buttler, twice, with deliveries at 110 kph and 111.5 kph.
Read More: CT 2025, IND vs NZ, Group A: Varun-led spin quartet bamboozles NZ; India to face Australia in SF
Varun Chakravarthy’s IPL debut in 2019 was unique, he had never played an official T20 before yet commanded the highest price for an uncapped player. Early success propelled him into the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup, with his ability to bowl at pace making him an attractive alternative to traditional wrist spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.
At the time, he entered the Indian fray of spinners; his usual bowling included quick through the air, high-arm action, and a preference for shorter lengths, with the googly as his stock ball. Between 2020 and 2022, he bowled leg breaks less than 40% of the time, relying instead on his ability to turn the ball back into right-handers.
While his googly was effective, averaging 17.24 with a wicket every 16.5 balls—his overall effectiveness suffered when batters started picking his variations. For deliveries that didn’t turn in, his average ballooned to 44, and his strike rate dropped to a wicket every 34 balls.
Varun went back to the drawing board. After a disappointing IPL 2022, he completely overhauled his technique, shifting from a side-spin release to one that generates more over-spin. It was a painstaking process that took two years, with Varun honing his craft in domestic tournaments like the TNPL, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and Vijay Hazare Trophy before fully implementing the changes at the highest level.
He came back stronger than ever. The last two IPL seasons proved to be a nightmare for most of the spinners; Varun did not only survive but thrived as well.
The shift to over-spin has also made him trust his leg break more. Since 2023, it has become his stock delivery, he now bowls leg breaks more often. Interestingly, his reduced reliance on the googly has only made it more lethal.
With adaptability and perseverance, Varun Chakravarthy is back. A lot of credit should go to the team management, especially India head coach Gautam Gambhir, who kept faith in Varun. Varun 2.0 isn’t just a phase; it’s a blueprint for longevity. Read More: CT 2025: Spin quartet the way to go for India in knock outs too?
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