India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy recounted his “dark time” after losing 10 wickets against archrivals Pakistan at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021.
Pakistan won the long-awaited World Cup match against India by 10 wickets thanks to Shaheen Shah Afridi’s bowling and openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s unbeaten half-centuries. Chakaravarthy did not bowl well in his maiden encounter against Pakistan, bowling 0/33 in four overs.
After India’s group-stage exit, Chakaravarthy was dismissed and didn’t return for three years.
Last October, the 33-year-old returned to the international team and established himself with regular performances.
He then joined India’s side for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 and helped them win by collecting nine wickets in three innings at 15.11.
A recent interview with an Indian news site revealed that the spinner was threatened after the men in blue’s loss to Pakistan and advised against returning to the nation.
He also said someone trailed him and tracked his house, forcing him to ‘hide’ multiple times.
It was dark for me. My sadness came from thinking I couldn’t do justice after being selected for the T20 World Cup with much fanfare. I regret not taking a wicket. I was not chosen for three years. Varun Chakaravarthy said his comeback to the team was harder than his debut.
Threat calls came after the 2021 World Cup. People told you to avoid India. Try and you’ll fail. Sometimes I had to hide when somebody tracked me to my place. Some bikers followed me home from the airport, he said.
