'Expensive' Varun Chakaravarthy Under Pressure Ahead Of India vs England T20 World Cup Semi-Finals, Takes Special Step

India's frontline spinner Varun Chakaravarthy was one of the four squad members who chose to train on a scorching Mumbai afternoon a day ahead of the T20 World Cup semifinal against England. Chakaravarthy has been India's trump card in the middle overs over the past 12 months, winning them games on multiple occasions. He has become a lot more effective ever since he increased his speed and switched to over-spin from side-spin.

His strength lies in targeting the stumps and getting the ball to move either way, keeping batters guessing more often than not.

He took as many as 36 wickets last year at an average of 13.19 and an economy rate of 7.08. The mystery spinner was lethal as usual in the initial part of the T20 World Cup but has not been as consistent with his lengths in the Super Eights stage, proving a tad expensive against West Indies and South Africa.

After the high-intensity training session on Tuesday night, he could have rested like most of the players, but he chose instead to hone his skills in the heat. He restricted himself to spot bowling, trying to find his lengths. On a number of occasions, he was on the shorter side.

Some deliveries were fired at the stumps, while at other times he operated on a wider line.

The support staff present at the ground - T Dilip, Morne Morkel, Ryan ten Doeschate and Sitanshu Kotak - were seen having long conversations with Chakaravarthy. He will be up against an in-form Harry Brook, which will be one of the match-ups to watch on Thursday night.

Bowling coach Morkel praised Chakaravarthy's special skills but admitted that at times the spinner can put too much pressure on himself.

"It was a normal routine session with Varun. He really enjoys single-wicket practice the day before the game, where mentally he can go through the process. Conversations we have had are about clarity and about him feeling good with his bowling," Morkel said, playing down the long discussions with the spinner.

How does Chakaravarthy's mind operate while preparing for a game? Morkel didn't reveal much.

"It's a tricky question to answer here now. Obviously, I can't reveal his process. But I keep telling him that in our bowling line-up, with the skill and variation Varun's got, he has the ability to take a wicket almost every ball. So if he goes for a boundary or the ball isn't executed as well as possible, he shouldn't dwell on it.

"For him, it's just about moving on to the next one and committing to the next ball. He's a highly skilful guy, hard to pick once you walk into the crease. So for him it's about getting confidence with the ball, getting his speed, length and control right, and not overthinking it.

"With Varun, to his credit, he wants to be a big performer for the team. So he does put a little pressure on himself. But he's a match-winner for us, and for him it's about staying focused and making sure every ball is his best ball," the bowling coach added.

Shivam Dube too has gone for runs. He leaked 46 runs in his two overs against Zimbabwe and, on a flat pitch, is a risky sixth-bowling option. Morkel said his execution can improve.

"Shivam is a guy who's always going to give us potentially an over or two. For him, the most important thing is just to make smart decisions with the ball.

"So I think one area we'd like to improve with him is just his ball execution. Teams are going to go after him; he's the guy who's going to be put under pressure, which gives us opportunities to take wickets.

"So if we can get his thinking process with ball in hand a little better, a little smarter, that'll be a big positive," Morkel said

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team England Cricket Team Varun Chakaravarthy T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket