Leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy who recently made his India debut in the recently concluded T20I series against Sri Lanka revealed that he had called his Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) teammate Dinesh Karthik to seek advice on the eve of his debut match.
Chakravarthy after his consistent performances in domestic tournaments like Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) and Indian Premier League (IPL), earned his India call-up. While talking about his India debut, the leggie recalled the crucial inputs and observations he received from Karthik on the phone call.
“I called him the day before the match and asked him because he was commentating on the England-Sri Lanka series also. He did give me a few inputs. He shared his observations on where to bowl and how to bowl and how the Sri Lankan players play and those kinds of things,” Chakravarthy told ESPNCricinfo.
The 29-year-old then remembered his debut against Sri Lanka when he had a sleepless night before the game in which he picked Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka’s wicket as his maiden scalp in international cricket.
“Paras Mhambrey [bowling coach] gave me the cap and it was a very emotional moment for me. It felt like it was a dream come true and it was what I've been wanting for a long time. Obviously, there was responsibility, but I wasn't blinded by all those emotions and just kept myself in the present,” he signed off.
As IPL 2021 is resuming with the second-leg of the tournament scheduled to be played in UAE from September 19, Chakravarthy will be gearing up for the tournament to make his case for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
(With ESPNCricinfo Inputs)
