Thread by @cricbuzz

🫡 NAAMA JEICHITOM MAARA 🫡

From being ignored in a second-string squad in July 2024, Varun Chakaravarthy has come a long way 💪

Behind the tears, the tweaks and the Tamil cinema moment that defined a comeback no one was sure would arrive.

🧵

After the horror of the 2021 T20 World Cup, Varun had rebuilt his reputation by picking up 41 wickets across IPL 2023 and IPL 2024. However, he was still not picked in a second-string side to play in Zimbabwe last year.

Reason? - He was told his fielding was not good enough 😐

A few days after the snub, Varun had a chat with Dindigul Dragons fielding coach Ashok Kumar in the TNPL.

Ashok was clear the issue with Varun's fielding was awareness, not hands. He began filming him during the matches, later sat down to analyse.

They practised where he would actually field for India or in the IPL. The drills were simple and brutal: walk in, attack the ball and fire flat to the keeper.

A sharp take at fine leg in the IPL followed before larger recognition arrived 👀

With fielding now ticked, he was back in the squad. But the reason why he flourished straightaway was the technical work he had put in with AC Prathiban who he met at Madurai Panthers in 2022.

With the carrom ball not turning enough, Varun needed a new weapon.

That's where the scrambled-seam legbreak came into play.

With Varun's ability to bowl overspin at pace, he was able to beat batters who had little time to adjust. Performances followed and the phone finally rang for the all important call.

Varun was picked for the Bangladesh series to play his 1st T20I in three years.

He called Prathiban to inform him about the call-up, who had in turn reached for a line from Soorarai Pottru, a Tamil film inspired by the story of Air Deccan.

'Naama jeichitom, Maara' 🥳🥳🎊🎊