Name: Varun Chakravarthy Vinod
Varun Chakravarthy is an Indian cricketer known for his leg spin bowling. He represents Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket and plays for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. Chakravarthy made his international debut for the Indian cricket team in July 2021.
Chakravarthy's professional cricket career began with his List A debut for Tamil Nadu in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy on September 20, 2018. He quickly made a mark by becoming the leading wicket-taker for Tamil Nadu in the tournament, securing twenty-two dismissals in nine matches. His first-class debut followed shortly after, on November 12, 2018, in the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy.
In December 2018, Chakravarthy's potential was recognized in the IPL auction, where Kings XI Punjab bought him for a significant sum of 8.4 crores. He made his Twenty20 debut for the team on March 27, 2019. However, his debut was challenging as he conceded 25 runs in his first over, the highest number of runs conceded by a bowler on IPL debut. Following this, he was released by Kings XI Punjab ahead of the 2020 IPL auction.
In the 2020 IPL auction, Kolkata Knight Riders secured Chakravarthy's services. His performance significantly improved, and on October 24, 2020, he took his first five-wicket haul in the IPL, with figures of 5 wickets for 20 runs against Delhi Capitals in Abu Dhabi. His performance in the 2021 IPL season was noteworthy as he was the highest wicket-taker for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Chakravarthy's international career prospects looked promising when he was named in India's T20 International (T20I) squad for their series against Australia in October 2020. However, an injury led to him being ruled out of the team on November 9, 2020. He was later named in India's T20I squad for the series against England in February 2021.
His T20I debut came on July 25, 2021, against Sri Lanka, where he took the wicket of Dasun Shanaka. Chakravarthy's skills and performances in the domestic circuit and IPL paved the way for his inclusion in India's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, announced in September 2021.