**Varun Chakravarthy on His Partnership with Kuldeep Yadav and T20 World Cup Aspirations**
India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy believes that his partnership with fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav is critical for the team’s success. He feels that the two complement each other well and hopes to recreate their magic at the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Chakravarthy shared his thoughts while speaking at the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards on Tuesday. “Kuldeep is definitely one of the most experienced bowlers right now in the pool of players that we have, and he has done amazingly well. We kind of complement each other because I bowl at speeds of around 95 km per hour, while he bowls closer to 85 km per hour. So, we complement each other — he brings more revs and turn, while I offer more speed and bounce. Till now, it’s been working well for us. Hopefully, we can continue doing the same thing in the World Cup,” he said.
**Asia Cup Final: Playing Pakistan Twice Helped**
Reflecting on his success in the Asia Cup final, Chakravarthy felt that playing Pakistan twice in the tournament before the summit clash gave the team an advantage. “Of course, we plan before every match, and having played Pakistan twice before the final gave us a fair idea of what their plans could be and what they might come up with. We also had our own strategies, and finally, we did well,” he explained.
**Secret Behind His Bowling Success**
Chakravarthy believes that the pitches have played a significant role in his effectiveness. “If you look at the pitches in Dubai, they have suited me well. Even during the Champions Trophy, I performed well there because the pitches are a bit on the slower side, which helps me. My role is to keep attacking the stumps and challenge the batsmen to take aggressive shots, like going for a six. It forces them to take risks, and that’s when I can take wickets. That was the basic plan,” he added.
**“He Brings a Spartan Mentality” – On Working with Gautam Gambhir**
Talking about his working relationship with India coach Gautam Gambhir, Chakravarthy highlighted the benefit of their familiarity. “I have already worked with him in the IPL, and we won the trophy there, so nothing is new to me as I have been around him. One thing I can say about him is that he brings a Spartan mentality to the team — there’s no option of losing. You have to bring your best and give it all on the field. When he is around, there is no mediocrity; you can’t be mediocre in the field. That’s what I feel,” Chakravarthy said.
**Focus Amidst Off-Field Distractions During Asia Cup**
Despite various off-field distractions during the Asia Cup, Chakravarthy revealed that the team’s sole focus was on winning the trophy. “I don’t know about others, but our primary goal when we landed there was to win the cup and nothing else. We wanted to beat all teams and go unbeaten in the tournament to build confidence for the World Cup. Most players even switched off their social media accounts, only posting after matches. Since we were in another country, UAE, it was very quiet — there was no noise or distractions,” he said.
**On His Presence in the Champions Trophy Squad**
When asked about his inclusion in the Champions Trophy-winning squad, Chakravarthy expressed that he always expects to be part of the team but acknowledged that selectors consider conditions and team requirements. “Brother, I expect to be in every team, but it’s up to the selectors to decide. Maybe the conditions there offered less opportunity for spinners. In the Champions Trophy, I was brought in as a replacement for Yashaswi as well. It all depends on pitch conditions and team strategy,” he stated.
**Bowling Strategy: Changing Ball Sequences**
Chakravarthy revealed that he didn’t try anything drastically different at the Asia Cup apart from varying the sequence of balls. “It basically goes three ways — left, right, or straight. It depends on when I want to take the ball to the other side. Whether I bowl two leg-spins followed by one googly or two googlies followed by one leg-spin, that’s the only thing I change. Other than that, there isn’t much to alter,” he explained.
**Keeping the Mystery Element Alive**
The spinner admitted that it’s challenging to maintain the mystery element in his bowling when opponents use video analysis extensively. “Look, sports science and analytics have gone so far that even if I play one match and try something new, it gets picked up on video. But at the end of the day, the batsman still has to middle the ball and hit it for a six,” Chakravarthy concluded.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/we-kind-of-complement-each-other-varun-chakravarthy-opens-up-on-his-bowling-partnership-with-kuldeep-yadav
