‘You can't survive with just one thing’ - Abhishek Nayar reveals what India selectors told Varun Chakravarthy

Kolkata Knight Riders’ assistant coach, Abhishek Nayar, fresh off the IPL title win, came forward to talk about what the team India selectors told star spinner Varun Chakravarthy when he was selected for the Indian team.

Nayar revealed that Chakravarthy was told to improve his batting and fielding if he wanted to stay in the Indian squad. The star spinner represented the Men in Blue in the T20 World Cup 2021, where he bowled 11 overs in three games and took no wickets.

India exited the T20 World Cup 2021 from the group stage, and Varun Chakravarthy is yet to be selected for India again, despite performing consistently in the IPL. 

It is worth noting that since the IPL 2023, Chakravarthy has picked up 41 wickets, which is the highest for any bowler since then. In the IPL 2024, the star spinner was KKR’s highest wicket-taker and was crucial to their title win.

"Varun Chakravarthy performs every year in the Vijay Hazare [Trophy], everywhere, but I remember selectors telling him, 'You should improve your batting, you'll be able to make the cut; Improve your fielding and you'll be able to make the cut'. That was the mindset. So he scored a few runs in the Vijay Hazare this time and sent me a video [saying,] 'I hit two sixes, scored 40 runs,’” Nayar said on The Ranveer Show Podcast.

Players automatically start thinking like that: Nayar

Furthermore, Nayar talked about the various aspiring India players who have to ultimately change their mindset and specialise in every field if they want to make it to the national squad. He also stated that a player cannot survive in team India with just one specialisation.

"So players automatically start thinking like that because they know it's a requirement. He has also improved his fielding. So, there are things that players work on because they know it's a requirement that you have to do all three things, you can't survive with just one thing,” Nayar said.