Industry Odisha Bureau, April 20: Wily Varun Chakravarthy returned to his best, showing perfect chemistry with veteran Sunil Narine as Kolkata Knight Riders’ spin twins dismantled Rajasthan Royals snaring five wickets between them to restrict visitors to a below-par 155/9, in their IPL match in Kolkata on Sunday.
Speaking to media persons at a post-match press conference, Chakravarthy said, “The win was very significant. I could see tears in the dressing room today, something we didn’t even see in 2024 when we won the IPL.”
He has given the credit to the coaches, especially head coach Abhishek Nayar.
“Taking up a team in such conditions requires a lot of courage. He has taken the team from a very tough situation, so it will take time to build. Slowly, step by step, with small wins, we will get back on track,” he said.
On being asked, “Mentally, how did you deal with conceding runs, not picking wickets, and the social media/media noise?” He responded with, ” Just because I have taken three wickets today, I don’t want to make a sweeping statement. That’s the nature of the game. Next match, if the wicket has nothing in it, that’s going to happen to every spinner. Initially, every spinner was struggling, but as pitches started slowing down, we came into the game and became more effective. It’s the nature of the game and we can’t change it, so I don’t think much about it.”
Further he said, “There could be many reasons because we haven’t been winning, and there is a lot of outside noise. But, we turned up today, to be the better side today and won the match. There are many areas to improve for sure because we started this tournament with several injuries that affected us even before it began.
I would like to give credit to the coaches, especially head coach Abhishek Nayar. Taking up a team in such conditions requires a lot of courage. He has taken the team from a very tough situation, so it will take time to build. Slowly, step by step, with small wins, we will get back on track.KKR seemed to lose the plot while batting on a slow wicket, swinging more than necessary compared to the opposition, who judged the pitch better. Is it panic due to not winning, especially while chasing a low total? How significant is this win?”, when asked,” This win is very significant—I could see tears in the dressing room today, something we didn’t even see in 2024 when we won the IPL.”
When buzzed about the plan against the explosive opening pair on the D-day? He gently replied, “When there is something in the pitch, I go back to my strength—attacking the stumps. But if there is nothing in the pitch, bowlers start searching, get confused, and feel clueless. It happens to everyone, even the best. No one can be judged on just one good or bad performance.”
With just three points so far, there is still a long way to go. Does this win in the second half of the tournament make things easier for spinners as pitches tend to slow down? Generally, yes—pitches start slowing down a bit. Today, I felt it was a 190-run wicket. Both teams struggled because they tried to be too aggressive when they could have settled in. This win is very important for us, and in the second half of the IPL, we will build on the positives from this match.
He further added, “There have been a lot of discussions about when I should bowl—whether in the powerplay or later. Once I get into rhythm, I feel more confident. That was the plan. Sunny has been doing well in the powerplay, and we will keep our plans flexible. The main credit goes to the coaching staff—they didn’t let outside noise affect us. There were too many baseless judgments. At such times, you need a strong core, and we have that. Unfortunately, before the first match, I fractured a finger, and later another finger on my left hand—two fractures. I couldn’t use my left hand properly, and fielding was difficult. I’m still managing, but there is some pain.”
Answering to “There was talk about your length and speed not being the same earlier. Where did you feel you were going wrong?”, he said, “My speed has been the same. I haven’t changed my length drastically either. I’m just varying my lines more—bowling tighter lines, cramping batters, and not just sticking to one area. There wasn’t a major mistake—the pitches didn’t offer much for spinners.”
I’m very tough on myself, and I do analyze my performances, but conditions played a big role. It’s good that there is some help for spinners now, and hopefully it continues. There has been a lot of discussion around pitches, but I don’t know who decides that. We are ready to play on any surface.
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