Varun Chakravarthy Responds to Criticism, Cites Wickets for Recent Struggles

India’s leading mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy on Sunday pushed back against concerns over his recent struggles, insisting the problem lay with unfriendly playing surfaces rather than any “mistakes” in his craft. After a tough stretch, Chakravarthy delivered a sharp turnaround on a slow Eden Gardens wicket, producing figures of 3/14 as Kolkata Knight Riders recorded their first victory in six outings. The win came in the afternoon IPL clash as KKR beat Rajasthan Royals by four wickets, and Chakravarthy’s spell set the tone for the chase.

Chakravarthy on the form dip and why he won’t call it a flaw

1. When asked how he was handling the difficult phase that began with the T20 World Cup Super 8 game against South Africa on February 22, Chakravarthy responded with defiance, saying bowlers will always concede runs and challenging the premise of the question.
2. He pointed to the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup as the start of the downward trend, recalling that South Africa’s David Miller and Dewald Brevis handled him decisively.
3. He noted that even though he finished the tournament with 14 wickets, sharing the top wicket-taking role with Jasprit Bumrah in India’s title-winning campaign, his later overs were expensive and, from the final five Super 8 matches, he managed only five wickets.
4. He said the pattern continued into the IPL, starting with a match against Mumbai Indians where he conceded 48 runs across four overs, and adding that it took four more fixtures before he claimed his first wicket of the season.
5. Despite the criticism, Chakravarthy maintained there was nothing fundamentally wrong with his bowling, adding that success or failure swings naturally in T20 cricket and cannot be treated as a sweeping indictment of a bowler’s ability.
6. He argued that if a pitch offers nothing, spinners across teams will struggle, and that even in the match he referenced, multiple spinners were finding it hard before conditions changed.
7. He explained that when surfaces start to slow down and assist, that is when spinners become more effective, and he suggested players should not overreact to short-term results.
8. Addressing the specific criticism that he was making errors, he said he was not “making any mistakes,” emphasizing that he evaluates his performances and, when he does not deliver, he looks closely at what might have gone wrong—particularly attributing earlier struggles to the nature of the wickets.
9. He added that other spinners faced similar challenges in those conditions, insisting that it was “good” there was something in the pitch now, allowing him to return to his strengths.
10. Chakravarthy stressed that his approach depends on what the wicket offers: when there is help, he goes back to attacking the stumps; if there is nothing for the bowlers, confusion can set in for everyone, including elite performers.

What changed: pace, length, and line tweaks

There had also been outside chatter that under pressure he was altering his pace and lengths too much. Chakravarthy rejected that idea outright, saying his speed had remained the same and that he had not changed anything significant in either pace or length. He did, however, admit to adjusting his lines slightly—cramping more, not only down the fourth-stump channel but also angling wider on the off side and leg side—explaining that he is not confined to attacking only the stumps.

KKR’s relief win and the emotional dressing room

For KKR, the triumph was a major release after a shaky beginning led by skipper Ajinkya Rahane. Chakravarthy credited head coach Abhishek Nayar for helping protect the players from what he called “outside noise,” and he described an unusually emotional atmosphere inside the dressing room. He said he saw “many tears” on the day of the win, adding that the scenes were not even seen in the year KKR won the IPL in 2024. He also said the coaching staff deserved the major credit for ensuring the judgment coming from outside did not disrupt the team’s focus and shape.

Chakravarthy further argued that too many people were making baseless judgments, and he suggested KKR’s stability came from having a strong core. He also pointed to injuries early in the season, saying they started the tournament with multiple setbacks that crippled the squad even before the campaign properly began. In his view, courage was required to take charge under such circumstances, and he singled out Nayar for steering the team through a difficult spell. He added that the plan is to build momentum match by match—“one win here, one win there”—until the side gets back on track.

Schedule ahead at Eden Gardens

With assembly elections approaching in the state, KKR will now take a break of nearly a month at Eden Gardens, with three home fixtures still left to be played. They are set to return at the venue on May 16, where they will face Gujarat Titans.

Pitch preferences for the rest of the tournament

Asked whether this was the sort of wicket they would prefer to see going forward, Chakravarthy offered a neutral response. He said there has been plenty of talk about the nature of the wickets, but he does not decide them, and KKR are prepared for whatever conditions arrive. He concluded that the team is open to competing on any surface.