‘My plan’s simple’ – Varun Chakravarthy on bowling approach ahead of T20 World Cup at home

Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy has revealed that his mindset has helped him gain recent success in international cricket, especially in the shortest format of the game. Chakravarthy has picked up two wickets in each of the three matches played in the ongoing T20Is against South Africa, thereby helping the Indian team be 2-1 up in the series so far.

The Tamil Nadu cricketer also revealed that he has always kept things simple while bowling. He also highlighted how important it is to be challenging oneself by measuring oneself against the best to assess as a benchmark for growth.

“My plan’s simple, stick to the basics and bowl my length. Sometimes it works, and thankfully in the last three matches, it’s worked well. I’ll try the same in the next match. It’s about mindset and skill. When you’re not confident, your mindset affects your skill. The key is to stay confident and back your skills. That is the secret to being consistent. At this level, you must be consistent. Playing at the highest level is important to know where you stand,” Chakravarthy said via JioStar’s Follow the Blues.

The 34-year-old also spoke on the importance of self-imposed pressure as the T20 World Cup approaches near. He also mentioned how analysing the opposition and their strengths and weaknesses are crucial to bettering a cricketer’s game plan.

“It’s very important to keep putting pressure on yourself to get ready for the [T20] World Cup. You have to challenge yourself even when there is no challenge. If a match feels easy, you have to create that pressure mentally and start challenging yourself. Confidence, bowling the right lengths, and understanding the opposition are key. That is one major factor I want to take into the World Cup. With a better understanding of the opposition, I think I can do well,” he added.

The Karnataka-born has become India‘s mainstay after delivering successful performance after performance for the T20I squad this year. His economy rate during the Asia Cup was only 6.50, which is a commendable factor in modern-day cricket. He was also the leading wicket-taker for the Indian team in the recent T20I versus Australia.

The Men in Blue, currently leading the T20I leg of the all-format series against South Africa by a 2-1 margin, will be playing the fifth T20I on December 19. The next series for the Indian team will be an eight-match white-ball series against New Zealand next year. Subsequently, the Indian team will also co-host the T20 World Cup 2026 alongside Sri Lanka, with an aim to defend their title, as Chakravarthy is expected to play a key role.