Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy Vinod, also known as CV Varun or Varun Chakravarthy, is a mystery spinner born on August 29, 1991, in Bidar, Karnataka, and hails from Tamil Nadu.

Chakravarthy rose as a mystery spinner who deceived world-class batters in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with his unpickable deliveries. Despite earning the tag of a late bloomer, the Karnataka-born spinner has created an instant impact with the ball, especially while representing the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL.

Varun Chakravarthy: Along the Years

Varun Chakravarthy Records

• Most wickets for Tamil Nadu in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2018-19 (22)

• Second-most wickets in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2018-19 after Shahbaz Nadeem (JHK)

• Second uncapped player to take a five-wicket haul in IPL after Ankit Rajpoot (KXIP)

• Most wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2020 (17)

• Most wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021 (18)

• Most wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2023 (20)

• Joint-highest wicket-taker in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023-24 (19) along with Sai Kishore

• Third-most wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders after Sunil Narine and Andre Russell

• Most wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024 (21)

• Most wickets by a spinner in IPL 2024

• Second-most wickets in IPL 2024 after Harshal Patel (PBKS)

• Most wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders by an Indian in the Indian Premier League (82)

Varun Chakravarthy Career

Varun Chakravarthy has had a fairy tale story to the top. After nearly giving up on cricket to becoming a Crorepati twice on the trot, the Karnataka-born mystery spinner has indeed seen a lot in his relatively short career.

Varun Chakravarthy Domestic Career

Varun Chakravarthy made his List-A debut for Tamil Nadu in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2018-19 on September 20, 2018, and became the leading wicket-taker for his side in the tournament with twenty-two dismissals in nine matches. A month later, the mystery spinner made his first-class debut for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 on November 12, 2018, which was also his only match in First-Class cricket.

However, his ascension to the top began in the Tamil Nadu Premier League where he played for Siechem Madurai Panthers in the 2018 season.

His superlative bowling ensured that Madurai won its first title that year and this is where the talent scouts from all over the country first laid their eyes on the spinner.

That said, Chakravarthy bowled 40 overs, of which 125 balls were dots. His economy rate of 4.7 was the best among bowlers who had bowled at least 15 overs. The Chennai Super Kings' batting coach Michael Hussey, who worked as a commentator in the TNPL earlier this year, picked out Varun as one of the most exciting talents. He currently represents the Dindigul Dragons in TNPL.

Varun Chakravarthy IPL Career

After his exploits in the TNPL in the 2018 season, Varun Chakravarthy was the talk of the town and in the IPL auctions, the then 27-year-old spinner hit the jackpot as Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) shelled a whopping INR 8.4 crore, 42 times his base price of INR 20 lakh to secure his services. However, Chakravarthy played a solitary game for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2019, before a finger fracture sidelined him for a lengthy period.

One would have reckoned that Varun had gone lucky in the auctions but despite an injury-plagued season, the mystery-spinner got second-time lucky in the IPL 2020 auctions where Kolkata Knight Riders shelled out INR 4 crore (USD 563,000 approx.) for his seven variations. Knight Riders outbid Royal Challengers Bangalore (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) and got him on board.

Chakravarthy had a breakout season in the dusty tracks of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the mystery spinner dished out 17 wickets in 13 games at an economy of a mere 6.84. He also became the second uncapped player to take a five-wicket haul in IPL after Ankit Rajpoot (KXIP), when he registered his career-best figures of 5/20 against the Delhi Capitals. In IPL 2021, the mystery spinner led the Knight Riders to stage a mighty comeback in the second half of the tournament by picking 18 wickets at an economy of 6.58 in 17 matches as the Men in Purple finished as runners-up.

After having a torrid season in IPL 2022, Chakravarthy tweaked his line and lengths and mustered upon his variations as he became the Knight Riders’ trump card yet again as he picked up 20 wickets in IPL 2023 and 21 wickets in IPL 2024. His contribution with the ball was one of the primary reasons for the Knight Riders to clinch their third IPL title as he finished the season as the second-highest wicket-taker, only behind PBKS’s Harshal Patel. He also became the Knight Riders’ third leading wicket-taker in IPL after veteran Sunil Narine and all-rounder Andre Russell.

Varun Chakravarthy International Career

Varun Chakravarthy has had a brief international career and has not gotten enough opportunities up his sleeve to prove his mettle in the worldwide arena.

Varun Chakravarthy T20I Career

Varun Chakravarthy made his T20I debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo on July 25, 2021, when a second-string Indian side toured the island nation. He had a decent outing as he registered figures of 1/28 at an economy of 7 and took the wicket of Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka.

Following his stellar IPL year in 2021 in the UAE, he was drafted into the T20 World Cup squad for the T20 World Cup 2021. He played in three games and was dropped from the playing XI after going wicketless, despite being economical with the ball. With India having a disaster of a campaign with a group stage exit, Chakravarthy was at the receiving end and has never got an opportunity to redeem himself in Indian colors.

Varun Chakravarthy Family

Varun Chakravarthy was a wicketkeeper-batter until the age of 17. Then, after being rejected multiple times in age-group cricket, he took up an architecture degree and then worked as a freelancer. He got exhausted from it, he wanted to pursue his career as a mystery spinner and has not looked back since.

Chakravarthy’s father Vinod Chakravarthy works as a Chief General Manager at the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and his mother Malini is a homemaker. He married his long-time girlfriend Neha Khedekar on December 11, 2020. The couple is blessed with a son named Aathman. He also has a sister named Vanditha Chakravarthy.