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Varun Chakaravarthy revealed shocking details of receiving threatening calls, being stalked at the airport and his home being tracked down after his poor run in the T20 World Cup 2021.
Varun Chakaravarthy did not take a single wicket in the 2021 T20 World Cup. (Image: AFP)
Varun Chakaravarthy revealed shocking details regarding how he was on the receiving end of threatening phone calls, his residence being tracked down, and even being followed from the airport after his disappointing performances in the 2021 T20 World Cup that was held in Dubai four years ago.
Chakaravarthy came into the Indian side after performing well for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2020 and 2021 seasons of the Indian Premier League with 17 and 18 wickets, respectively. But the Indian team, led by Virat Kohli at the time, endured a disappointing campaign, their worst in the tournament, having been eliminated at the Super 12 stages. The side suffered defeats against the likes of Pakistan and New Zealand and failed to make it into the knockouts.
That tournament was also one to forget for Chakaravarthy, as he ended up playing just three games and not taking a single wicket as well. He opened up on the reaction from the fans after his campaign and shared horrendous details regarding how he received threatening calls, was stalked at the airport and his home was tracked down as well.
“The 2021 World Cup was a dark time for me. I even went into depression then. I came into the team with so much hype, and I did not even get one wicket. After that, I was not even considered for selection for three years,” he shared in a podcast with Gobinath on YouTube.
“After the 2021 T20 World Cup, I got threatening calls even before landing in India. They said that if I tried to come to India, I wouldn’t be able to. They even tracked down my home and things like that. Coming from the airport, I saw people following me on a bike. But I get that the fans are very emotional,” he added.
But since then, Chakaravarthy has managed to redeem himself with strong displays in the last two seasons of the IPL alongside performances in the domestic circuit, which ensured that he made his way back into the national side. While he was delivering in T20Is, the Indian team also backed his selection for the Champions Trophy, which was in the 50-over format, and he delivered there as well. Playing just three games, he finished as the joint-second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 9 wickets to lead India to their third title.
He also opened up about how he improved his game by doubling his efforts in practice.
“From the first time coming to the Indian team and then making a comeback, there were so many difficulties. I changed my daily routine. I started off practicing with 50 deliveries, and since then, I have doubled it,” he shared.
With his tremendous displays, Chakaravarthy is already going up the rankings in the ODI bowlers list and currently is the second-best bowler in the shortest format as well behind West Indies’ Akeal Hosein.