Meticulous in planning, but spontaneous in reaction – Varun’s mantra for success

Meticulous in planning, but spontaneous in reaction – Varun's mantra for success

The Gautam Gambhir-led coaching staff and Ajit Agarkar-led Indian selection panel have emphasized the importance of domestic competitions, particularly red-ball cricket. Varun Chakravarthy, a spinner, has highlighted the significance of domestic tournaments in the context of white-ball cricket.

Varun's domestic success

• Varun's return to the T20I setup was due to his impressive performances in the domestic circuit.
• He was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the 2023-24 Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), with 19 wickets in 8 innings.
• In SMAT 2023-24, he played four matches and took six wickets.
• Varun has also been a regular in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, with 12 wickets in the previous edition.
• In the 2024-25 SMAT, he picked up 9 wickets in seven matches.
• He recently performed well in the 2024-25 VHT, ending the competition as the second highest wicket-taker (18).

Varun's thoughts on domestic cricket

• Varun believes the level of cricket in domestic tournaments is almost on par with IPL and international matches.
• He finds the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) very challenging due to small grounds.
• Credits SMAT for his recent successes, making him more instinctive and helping him think correctly at the right moment.

Varun's approach to T20 cricket

• Varun prepares by studying batsmen's videos, their early shots, and new shots in their game.
• He plans based on pitch conditions and the batsmen's tendencies.
• Spends around 2 hours a day practicing.

Varun's homecoming

• Looking forward to playing his maiden international game on his home ground in Chennai.
• Considers it a very important day for him, playing for the country in front of his parents and the home crowd.