Was receiving death threats, reveals Chakaravarthy

Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy recalled the ‘dark time’ after suffering a humiliating 10-wicket defeat against Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.

Chakaravarthy, who was playing his first match against arch-rivals Pakistan, ended up conceding 33 runs in his four overs without taking any wicket.

After India’s group-stage exit from the tournament, Chakaravarthy was dropped from the side and did not return until three more years.

However, he made his long-awaited return to the international side in October last year, and since then he has been a key member of the Men in Blue.

Recalling the disturbing time of his career following a humiliation against Pakistan, he said that cricketers were chased up to their houses and were forced to hide on several occasion.

“It was a dark time for me. I was in depression because I thought I was not able to do justice after I was picked for the T20 World Cup with a lot of hype,” he said.

“I regretted not taking even one wicket. After that, for three years, I was not selected. So, I think the comeback to the team was tougher than the path to my debut.”

“After the 2021 World Cup, I received threat calls. People said, ‘Don’t come to India. If you try, you won’t be able to’. People approached my house and tracked me down, and I sometimes had to hide. When I was returning from the airport, some people followed me on their bikes,” Chakaravarthy added.