‘Why don’t you just die’: India's T20 World Cup hero reveals abuse after Covid test triggered IPL suspension in 2021
Five years ago, in early May, the BCCI was forced to suspend IPL 2021 midway through the tournament after a surge in Covid-19 cases within team bubbles.
India’s T20 World Cup-winning hero Varun Chakaravarthy has opened up about a disturbing episode from his career, revealing the extent of social media abuse — including death threats — he faced after testing positive for Covid-19 during the 2021 IPL season.
Varun Chakaravarthy was part of India's T20 World Cup 2026 winning squad
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Five years ago, in early May, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was forced to suspend Indian Premier League 2021 midway through the tournament after a surge in Covid-19 cases within team bubbles. At that point, 29 matches had already been completed.
The 30th fixture — between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad — was initially postponed after two KKR players tested positive, including Varun. Sandeep Warrier was the other player who returned a positive result.
According to reports at the time, Varun had exited the biosecure bubble through the official green channel to undergo scans for a shoulder injury, where he may have been exposed to the virus.
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According to reports at the time, Varun had exited the biosecure bubble through the official green channel to undergo scans for a shoulder injury, where he may have been exposed to the virus.
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Speaking to Sahiba Bali on her YouTube show Journey to Jersey, Varun recalled the intense backlash he faced after the tournament was halted.
“The worst was when IPL was stopped in 2021. It got stopped halfway because I got Covid. I was the first person to test positive. So the whole IPL had stopped,” he said.
“There were people abusing me. Back then, IPL was the only way people were passing time. They were so angry that it was stopped. People were saying, ‘Why don’t you just die.’ It was that bad.”
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Varun and Warrier were not the only ones affected. The outbreak quickly spread across teams, with three members of the Chennai Super Kings camp — including bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji and CEO Kasi Viswanathan — testing positive. Meanwhile, the Delhi Capitals squad was placed under quarantine as a precaution.
With the situation escalating, the BCCI suspended the tournament indefinitely before eventually resuming the remaining matches in the United Arab Emirates from September 19 to October 15.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.
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Home/Cricket/‘Why don’t you just die’: India's T20 World Cup hero reveals abuse after Covid test triggered IPL suspension in 2021
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