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'Even Kohli gets questioned. If someone has not performed...': Out-of-favour IND bowler's blunt response to criticism
Kohli scored his much-anticipated 71st international ton after a gap of 1,020 days earlier this month. The star batter ended his dry run with the bat to score two successive half-centuries before his unbeaten 122 in the recent T20 Asia Cup.
Led by seasoned leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, India will have a rejigged spin attack in Australia as the Asian heavyweights look to shrug off their early exit in last year's World T20 in the UAE. Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin cover the spinners' base in the upcoming T20 competition with Axar Patel replacing injured Ravindra Jadeja. The mix also comprises Deepak Hooda, who can chip in with a few overs of off-spin as an additional spinner. On the other hand, previous World T20 picks Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy seem nowhere in the current picture.
Chakaravarthy was picked for the tournament following his two excellent spells with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where he picked up 35 wickets while bamboozling some of the best batters with his mystery element. He was then retained for ₹8 crore by the two-time IPL champions ahead of the 2022 season. However, the tweaker ended up picking just six wickets in 11 games at an economy of 8.51. He was even dropped from the eleven as the Knight Riders decided to shake things up.
Chakaravarthy has opened up about facing criticism over his performance in last year's World T20. Citing the example of Virat Kohli and explained how the biggest players come under the scanner due to a dip in their form.
Kohli scored his much-anticipated 71st international ton after a gap of 1,020 days earlier this month. The star batter ended his dry run with the bat to score two successive half-centuries in the recent Asia Cup. He ended the tournament with an unbeaten 122 off 61 deliveries – his first ton in the T20 Internationals.
“It’s okay. Everyone gets questioned. Even Virat Kohli gets questioned. If someone has not performed up to expectations, they will come under the scanner and that’s the nature of the sport. I can’t question that. My job is bettering myself day by day. Not at all, there’s nothing I could’ve done differently,” Chakaravarthy told Sportskeeda.
On his mediocre season with KKR, Chakaravarthy said – "The problem which I figured out was that I started to run in a little slower. I didn’t realize that initially, but after I got a break I did realize it. And after that, the ball started coming out better."
The 31-year-old also revealed talking to Dinesh Karthik, who made a sensational comeback to the Indian team after consistent performances in the 2022 IPL. At 37, Karthik has been providing the late impetus to the Indian innings. He was a part of the team that won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 and now, he heads to Australia as a finisher and keeper too.
"He is now experienced at making comebacks, and he keeps doing it. His latest comeback is a very solid one, and it’s going to take him a long way in the blue jersey. He has talked to me personally about what to think and how to go about things. It’s definitely more mental than physical right now. If I’m able to align my energies and my thoughts in the right space, I think the doors will open,” said Chakaravarthy.
