Varun Chakravarthy’s journey in the international arena has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride as he rose like a phoenix after falling to rock bottom. Varun Chakravarthy has scripted an incredible redemption story from facing the worst in the 2021 T20 World Cup to emerging as India’s game-changer in the recent ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The 33-year-old mystery spinner’s mesmerizing performances played a crucial role in India’s title triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where he proved that he is no longer the bowler who crumbled under pressure on the big stage. Varun played just three matches but wreaked havoc, scalping nine wickets in India’s victorious campaign at the CT 2025.
Varun Chakravarthy makes incredible comeback from 2021 T20 World Cup nightmare
But this success didn’t come easy, as Varun Chakravarthy has now revealed the terrifying torment that he faced after India’s embarrassing campaign at the 2021 T20 World Cup. Following a disappointing tournament, where he failed to pick up a single wicket and was part of India’s crushing 10-wicket defeat to Pakistan, the mystery spinner found himself in a dark place.
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Chakravarthy revealed that he fell into depression, but things took a disturbing turn when he started receiving threatening calls, warning him not to return to the country after a poor campaign in the UAE. The nightmare didn’t end there, as people were following him on bikes to his house after he landed in India.
The 2021 T20 World Cup almost ended his international career as Chakravarthy lost his place in the Indian cricket team for three years. But Chakravarthy worked relentlessly, fine-tuning his skills, and when the opportunity came knocking again, he made sure to silence every doubter. He made a stunning comeback in the home series against Bangladesh and never looked back again.
Varun Chakravarthy opens up about threat calls post-T20 WC 2021
As reported by Hindustan Times, Varun Chakravarthy told Gobinath in a chat on YouTube: “It was a dark time for me. I was in depression because I thought I was not able to do justice after I was picked for the World Cup with a lot of hype. I regretted not taking even one wicket. After that, for three years, I was not selected. So, I think the comeback to the team was tougher than the path to my debut.”
The Indian spinner further revealed, “After the 2021 World Cup, I received threat calls. People said, ‘Don’t come to India. If you try, you won’t be able to’. People approached my house and tracked me down, and I sometimes had to hide. When I was returning from the airport, some people followed me on their bikes. It happens. I can understand fans are emotional.”
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How did Varun Chakravarthy rebuild his career?
Meanwhile, Chakravarthy revealed that he went through a complete transformation after his career-threatening 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. He had to make significant changes to his daily routine and training methods to improve his game. Instead of sticking to his old practice sessions, Varun revealed that he doubled his efforts, pushing himself harder without any guarantee of an India recall.
The journey wasn’t easy, especially as years passed without any sign of a comeback to the Indian cricket team. By the third year, Chakravarthy admitted that he started to believe that his chances were over, but fate had different plans.
After winning the IPL 2024 with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Varun finally received the much-awaited call from the selectors in October last year, bringing him immense joy and a fresh opportunity to prove himself once again and he did it in a remarkable fashion.
He signed by saying, “I cannot believe that all good things are happening in one go. I want to take it to the next level. I have faced setbacks and know how bad the criticism can be. But when I look back at those things and the praise I am receiving now, I am happy.”
