Varun Chakravarthy credits domestic cricket for his recent growth
What's the story
Varun Chakravarthy, a key player in India's T20I team, has attributed his immense growth as a spinner to his involvement in domestic cricket.
He has been regularly playing for Tamil Nadu in white-ball tournaments. The experience has not just sharpened his skills but also made him ready for international matches.
Chakravarthy's opinion is in sync with coach Gautam Gambhir and BCCI's views on domestic cricket for aspiring national players.
Domestic success
Chakravarthy's impressive performance in domestic tournaments
Chakravarthy has shown his prowess in domestic cricket, especially in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
He took 18 wickets in six matches in the recently-concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy, becoming the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament.
His performance was equally commendable in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20 format).
These achievements further prove his claim that domestic cricket has made him a cricketer.
Player insights
Chakravarthy's take on the challenges of domestic cricket
Chakravarthy has also emphasized the difficulty of domestic cricket, particularly the SMAT.
"I would suggest to everyone to go and play the Mushtaq Ali Trophy as it is very challenging," said Varun on the eve of the second India-England T20I.
He added that these tournaments have improved his game, made him more instinctive, and helped him make strategic decisions at crucial moments.
This highlights the importance of domestic cricket in shaping players for the international stage.
Game plan
Chakravarthy's strategy for T20 matches
Chakravarthy has revealed his approach toward T20s, a format usually ruled by batters due to conducive conditions and small boundaries.
He feels bowlers should always be a step ahead of batters.
"In T20s, almost everywhere, the grounds are very small. Bowlers have the challenge of bowling from smaller ends," he said.
This shows his strategic mindset and adaptability in different match scenarios.
Skill development
Chakravarthy's journey to become a multi-utility cricketer
Chakravarthy isn't just honing his bowling skills, but also working hard to improve his batting.
He has been training for the last six-seven months with Abhishek Nayar, the current India assistant coach. This training started during his stint at Kolkata Knight Riders.
His efforts to improve his batting skills indicate his ambition to become a versatile player across all levels of cricket.