Ashwin called and welcomed me into the Kings XI Punjab unit: Varun Chakravarthy

In the IPL 2019 Auction on Tuesday, there was an intense bidding war. It wasn’t for Shimron Hetmyer or Brendon McCullum. Instead, a local player who had created an enigma in the Tamil Nadu Premier League. The Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings, Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals engaged in an interesting battle for Varun Chakravarthy. He was eventually brought by the Punjab franchise for a whopping 8.4 crores.

The 27-year-old along with Jaydev Unadkat turned out to be the most expensive player in the auction. For someone who stopped playing cricket in his teens and resumed years later, for a pacer who had to turn into a spinner owing to an injury. It was a fairytale for him. He credited TNPL for giving him a platform and acknowledged that he idolizes Indian legend, Anil Kumble.

Ashwin called and welcomed me into the Kings XI Punjab unit

To see such success for a player like Varun who had to undergo a lot, his family was quite overwhelmed. The youngster said he even received a call from Kings XI Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin. The mystery spinner is looking forward to sharing the dressing room with his statesman. He also asserted that it would a wonderful learning experience for him.

“The moment I was hugging my father, Ashwin called me. He said, ‘Welcome to KXIP. I am really happy for you. We will meet soon. All the best.’ I am excited to play under Ashwin’s leadership. We are from the same state and he will be my captain in the IPL. He is such a talented and great player. I am looking forward to a great season. Ashwin has an abundance of experience. He has played all formats of the game. I will learn a lot from him,” he was quoted as saying by TOI.

I watch Anil Kumble’s videos daily

The spinner is quite inspired by Anil Kumble and thus remarked that he has followed the Indian spinner really closely and adores him. He is also keen on interacting with Kumble in the near future.

Having got a platform to showcase his talent in the TNPL, he is grateful and feels that the experience will come in really handy when he sets out in the IPL.

“I watch his videos daily. I watch him very closely. His control over line and length is amazing. He bamboozled many batsmen in his playing days. He is an enigma with the ball. Watching his videos helps me a lot on the cricket field. I have never met Anil Kumble, but I hope the IPL will give me a chance to meet the legend. TNPL gave me a platform and IPL has recognition. TNPL gave me huge exposure. I learnt how to bowl in death overs and under pressure.” Varun stated.

[interaction id=”5c1a08ad5e0e5f4de40027dd”]

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from Indian Premier League, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.