Varun Chakravarthy made a memorable return to the Indian cricket team in 2024. The mystery spinner has opened up about the mental hurdles he faced before reclaiming his spot in the national side. Varun was dropped after a disappointing outing in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
In October last year, he earned a comeback during the T20I series against Bangladesh, thanks to his standout performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and domestic cricket.
Earlier this year, he was also selected for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where he emerged as India’s joint highest wicket-taker with nine wickets in three matches.
At 33, Varun has featured in four ODIs and 18 T20Is for India, taking 10 and 33 wickets respectively. Since his return last year, he has been a key performer for India in white-ball cricket.
Varun Chakravarthy Opens Up About Mental Health Struggles After Being Dropped from Indian Team
In an interview with Revsportz, Varun Chakaravarthy revealed that he battled mental health challenges for nearly three years after being left out of the Indian team. He said his focus during that period was to make a comeback through strong performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“It’s a very important question because, like many cricketers, I went through mental health struggles for almost three years after being out of the team since 2021. The uncertainty of whether I would ever return was the toughest part,” Varun Chakravarthy shared.
Varun Chakravarthy added, “The only opportunities I had were IPL and domestic cricket, and I am very grateful for the IPL because not every player gets that. My goal was always to make it back to the Indian team, so I constantly thought about why I wasn’t there and how I could improve.”
Varun Chakravarthy admitted he felt disappointed when he was overlooked for the national side despite strong IPL performances. “After performing well in the IPL, I believed I deserved a spot, but I wasn’t selected. Everything finally made sense when I was picked for the Bangladesh tour last year,” he said.
Reflecting on that challenging period, he noted, “The only things I could control were my routine—practicing at 5:30 in the morning, doing spot bowling, and working out in the evening.”
Most recently, Chakaravarthy shone in IPL 2025, finishing as Kolkata Knight Riders’ joint highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets in 13 matches at an economy of 7.66.
Varun Chakravarthy is expected to be included in India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025, starting September 9 in the UAE. India is in Group A alongside Pakistan, UAE, and Oman.
