Varun Chakaravarthy has outfoxed plenty of batters with his mystery spin, but even the wiliest of bowlers have their kryptonite.
The Indian spinner recently opened up about the players who’ve given him
the most trouble — and the names on his list are as explosive as they come.
Speaking on Breakfast with Champions
, Chakaravarthy didn’t hesitate when asked which batters have caused him the most headaches.“Chris Gayle, Virat (Kohli), and of late, it’s been Abhishek Sharma — your previous guest,” he said with a smile.
The 33-year-old spinner even took a light-hearted dig at the young Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener, who’s been in blistering form of late.
“You should tell him to be soft on the bowlers in the nets. But touch wood, he keeps batting like this for India — maybe just not for SRH,” Varun joked.
Fair play, considering Abhishek Sharma’s recent exploits in the 2025 Asia Cup, where his aggressive batting lit up the tournament.
On the Asia Cup Controversy: ‘The Cup Can Be Taken Away, But We Are Champions’
The recently concluded 2025 Asia Cup ended on a bizarre note, with Team India celebrating their win without the trophy after a mix-up involving Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi. Despite the odd ending, Chakaravarthy brushed off the incident with trademark calm.
“I knew that we would win all games. We are the number one team in the world. The cup can be taken away, but we are champions,” he said confidently.
Varun, The Reserved Architect
While his bowling does most of the talking on the field, Chakaravarthy revealed that he’s far more reserved off it.
“I’ve always been an introvert. I’m not like Arshdeep or Nayar, who are outspoken and can crack jokes. I have a slightly dark humour,” he admitted.
Before making it big in cricket, Chakaravarthy was an architect — and that creative side hasn’t faded away.
When he’s not spinning webs around batters, he turns to writing as a form of escape.
“After practice, I go to my room. To stay away from cricket, I keep writing. It brings out what’s within me and helps me visualise. By the end, I totally forget that I’m a cricketer and have a match the next day,” he said.
