Varun Chakravarthy thinks it’s too early to compare him to Ravichandran Ashwin. The legendary spinner retired from the sport last month after picking up a total of 765 wickets across all formats. In particular, he is the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 537 wickets.
Chakravarthy made his T20I debut in 2021 and could secure only two wickets in his first six appearances. As a result, he was dropped from the side.
However, Varun Chakravarthy stake a strong claim for his return after emerging as the second-highest wicket-taker in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. He picked up 21 wickets in 15 games to help the Kolkata Knight Riders win their third IPL title. The 33-year-old made an international comeback last year and has been consistent in terms of his wicket-taking abilities.
In the opening T20I against England in Kolkata on Wednesday, Chakravarthy finished with figures of 3/23 off four overs. His efforts resulted in England getting all-out for 132. Thereafter, Abhishek Sharma (79 off 34) was the major contributor to help India chase down the score in less than 13 overs.
Ahead of the second T20I at his home ground in Chennai, Chakravarthy was asked whether he will continue Ashwin’s legacy in international cricket. He responded by saying:
“Comparing him to me is big. Ashwin has played all three formats. I am just making a comeback. I haven’t reached a stage where I can be compared to him. But still, everybody, when they make it to the Indian team, wants to play for a long time. I am following my process. Let the hard work take me where it can. It’s better that way. I am not thinking about filling someone’s shoes. Ashwin’s shoes are big to fill. He has taken 500-plus Test wickets. I am not even close yet,” Varun said on the eve of the second T20I in Chennai.”
Varun Chakravarthy lauds Indian domestic cricket
Varun Chakravarthy has hailed the level of Indian domestic cricket, and finds it at par with IPL. He thinks small grounds along with skillful batters presented a strong challenge for him.
Notably, Chakravarthy ended as the second-highest wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy last season with 19 wickets in eight games. In the 2024-25 season, he continued his form performance by achieving the same feat with 18 wickets in six appearances. The consistent performances helped him to get back to contention for India comeback.
“The level of domestic cricket is extremely high. It’s almost as good as the IPL. I would really suggest everyone go and play the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. We play on small grounds, and it’s very challenging. Even I find it very challenging to play SMAT. It has definitely helped me improve, stay on my toes, and think at the right moment,” Varun Chakravarthy said.
