BASIL SYLVESTER PINTO
PANAJI
Every IPL auction throws up names plucked from obscurity or barely known. The IPL 2019 auction held in Jaipur on Tuesday was more of the same. Uncapped Varun Chakravarthy, from Tamil Nadu has quite the story to relate from designing buildings to structuring cricket dreams. The architect turned mystery spinner went laughing all the way to the bank after he was picked on December 18 by Kings XI Punjab for a regal sum of Rs 8.4 crore against his base price of Rs 20 lakh.
Speaking to The Goan, Chakravarthy expressed delight to be chosen for the forthcoming IPL. “I am very happy to be picked up for Punjab as R. Ashwin from my home State will be leading the side and he will help me a lot,” the former IPL franchisees’ nets bowler revealed. While the qualified architect may have least expected to be pouched at an astronomical figure, he looks at the opportunity as a great responsibility with high expectations due to the standard of competition he will come up with.
After impressing in the Tamil Nadu Premier League earlier this year, a gradation upwards to the IPL has been satisfying to the unheralded mystery spinner. “Definitely, IPL is the highest stage and I am very happy to be part of it,” the soft-spoken Charkravarthy exuded.
Interestingly, Chakravarthy was not always a bowler, and in fact had called it quits to the game after not doing too well in his nascent years.
“When in school, I used to be a wicketkeeper-batsman, but decided against pursuing the game any further as I was not getting selected and recognition then,” he divulged. For the next seven years, Chakravarthy put his focus solely in architecture but at the end of it felt he was not doing enough in that field either. “I felt I was not proving myself in architecture and came back to the game with the thought I will give it my last shot,” he admitted.
When Chakravarthy decided to wear his flannels again in 2015 he was firm that he would opt for the cherry rather than the gloves and the willow. “I decided I will be a bowler on my return to the game and developed my skills with the ball while playing gully cricket,” he disclosed. At Mac Spin Foundation, Chennai he worked under Peter Fernandez’ stead for a few months in the teething year and who guided him on the general aspects of bowling to help hone his skills to another level.
The naturally-gifted cricketer may have taken to street cricket on a comeback trail bowling medium pace and on the side spin as well, but made the prudent switch to only spin last year after an injury. After plying his trade for clubs like Magnet and Jubilee CC, his mystery spinners found their way in handing him a Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) break.
The hard-working cricketer earned his maiden cap at the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) last season for Karaikudi Kaalai but could go no further than play a game. But he was not entirely snubbed. IPL franchisees like Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders called upon him to bowl in their nets earlier this year before TNPL.
His second season at TNPL was just the shot in the arm he needed. Turning out for Siechem Madurai Panthers, the wiry mystery spinner adeptly unnerved the opposition side’s batsmen with his variations at only 4.7 runs to the over. What more? Chakravarthy played a pivotal part for his new franchise to go the distance. In the finals, he fondly recounts his most memorable performance wherein he snared two wickets while conceding only nine runs from his four-over quota. Further rewards came his way when he got selected for his State team at the Vijay Hazare Trophy wherein he reaped rich dividends as well. In the nine games that he played at the group stage of the domestic one-dayers, the 27-year-old snaffled a rich haul of 22 wickets. He also earned a cap at the Ranji Trophy. Quiz him why he did not get further opportunities in the multi-day game or if he is more suited to the shorter formats, Chakravarthy simply replied ‘you have to ask the selectors.’
Looking up to former India great, Anil Kumble he reveals that he has learnt the nuances of the slider in the last one year by looking up Kumble’s videos while using the leg break as his stock delivery.
Meanwhile as Varun Chakravarthy basks in the new-found limelight and waits to make the most of the maiden IPL opportunity, the glitzy tournament’s new million dollar baby has been humble enough to acknowledge that along his meteoric, very short career to the top almost everyone until now have been instrumental in shaping his career forward, and no more than his own parents.
