Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has heaped praise on Varun Chakaravarthy after his match-winning spell in the first T20I against England in Kolkata. The mystery spinner impressed one and all by finishing with the stunning figures of 3/23 in four overs.
His efforts helped the Indian cricket team to bowl England out for 132 before the hosts chased the target with ease, as they won the first T20I by seven wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the ongoing five-match T20I series at the Eden Gardena in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 23.
Aakash Chopra hails Varun Chakaravarthy’s transformation as a bowler
After the match, Aakash Chopra highlighted a remarkable transformation in Varun Chakaravarthy, saying the mystery spinner now confidently takes on the challenge of bowling in the powerplay. His ability to slow down the ball in the air and fly it with precision has caught the cricket pundit’s attention.
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Taking a dig at Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan, the former Indian batter mentioned that usually spinners tend to increase their pace under pressure, but Chakaravarthy remains calm and sticks to his strengths, even when hit for runs. He stressed that both spinners are different.
Varun Chakaravarthy is not Rashid Khan: Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra said in a video posted on his YouTube channel: “Since the time Varun Chakaravarthy has come back, he has started bowling in the powerplay. He came and bowled the sixth over, and his bowling was incredible. The thing I like the most is that he is bowling slowly in the air. He is happy to just fly the ball.
Pace is a huge marker in my opinion because nowadays spinners become fast as soon as they get hit and fast bowlers become slow. If a spinner bowls with confidence, he goes slow. You go slow even if you are hit for a six unless you are a Rashid Khan. His bowling style is different. He will bowl fast. However, Varun Chakaravarthy is not Rashid.”
Furthermore, the commentator has noted that Varun Chakaravarthy is a skilled bowler with many tricks. He can bowl leg breaks and googlies, which are hard to hit. In the past, batters could guess what kind of ball Varun would bowl, and even the spinner used to bowl bad balls, either short or full.
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Aakash Chopra says Varun Chakaravarthy is no more predictable for batters
However, Varun has now improved his game in terms of length and even line, as Aakash Chopra has pointed out that the Indian spinner has bowled with more control and accuracy for the last couple of years. The cricket experts further mentioned that Varun rarely bowls bad balls now.
Chopra has also pointed out that Chakaravarthy’s deliveries are now start and finish within the three stumps, and he can also start his deliveries outside the off-stump, which makes him even more challenging to face for the batters.
After winning the Player of the Match award in Kolkata, Varun revealed that he is trying to make his bowling more unpredictable. And for which he’s adding variations to the speed at which he delivers the ball while continuing to use overspin to make his deliveries even more challenging for the batters.