Varun Chakaravarthy of India during the 2nd T20I match between India and South Africa, held at New PCA Stadium, Chandigarh, India, on December 11, 2025. (CREIMAS for BCCI)
With the T20 World Cup squad set to be announced on Saturday, spinner Varun Chakaravarthy is almost shoo-in to be a part of that team with the Kolkata Knight Riders tweaker in top form, most recently taking 6 wickets in the first three matches against South Africa.
“It is very important to keep putting pressure on yourself to get ready for the World Cup. You have to challenge yourself even when there is no challenge. If a match feels easy, you have to create that pressure mentally and start challenging yourself. Confidence, bowling the right lengths, and understanding the opposition are key. That is one major factor I want to take into the World Cup. With a better understanding of the opposition, I think I can do well,” the Karnataka-born spinner said on ‘Follow The Blues’ on JioHotstar.
“My plan is simple, stick to the basics and bowl my length. Sometimes it works, and thankfully in the last three matches, it has worked well. I will try the same in the next match. When you are not confident, your mindset affects your skill. The key is to stay confident and back your skills. That is when you execute well, without much change. That is the secret to being consistent. At this level, you must be consistent, playing at the highest level is important to know where you stand. In my first match at the international level, I struggled a bit initially and that’s when I understood a few things. I went back to practice and made corrections. So, it is very important to keep playing at the highest level,” he added.
The 34-year-old who is expected to be a vital cog in India’s T20 World Cup defence, starting from February 7, has taken 51 wickets from 32 T20Is thus far. He will next be in action on Friday when he features for India against South Africa in the 5th and final T20 match at Ahmedabad.
