At 27, Tamil Nadu mystery spinner Varun Chakravarathy isn’t one of the young kids on the block looking to make a mark in the big league. Chakravarathy has seen some tough years and says this auction was his last chance to prove to himself that cricket was indeed his calling. After all, he was an architect who decided to leave his job and hit the ground running in a game that he felt allowed him to express himself. But then, to make a comeback after a seven-year hiatus in a game that is played by almost every child in the country was never going to be easy.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Chakravarathy said that the tough times made him a stronger individual and helped him fight adversity face on. The end result was a sweet Rs8.4 crore that he pocketed at the IPL auction in Jaipur on Tuesday as Kings XI Punjab picked him after a tense bidding war. But the money doesn’t count for the spinner, it is the opportunity that counts.

“I knew this was my last chance to prove to myself, not my detractors, that cricket is my calling. It is very easy for people to pull you down when the going is tough. But I kept faith in my abilities and if I can now put in a quality show in the IPL, I know my journey will be in the right direction. The money doesn’t matter. It is the opportunity that has come my way that counts. I am grateful to KXIP for trusting in me and I will give it my best,” he smiled.

Explaining his journey in the gentleman’s game, the mystery spinner said: “I loved playing tennis ball cricket, but after finishing school, I didn’t have time to play much as I was busy with my studies as I worked my way towards becoming an architect. While I loved my job, the drive was missing. I wanted an opportunity to express myself and cricket gave me that. Rejections came as did hardships because I was not a young kid. But I knew that if I can follow my heart and give the game my all, my dream shall be fulfilled.

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“It started with playing league cricket, followed by fourth division cricket. The Tamil Nadu Premier League season didn’t go as per plan last year, but this time round I finally found success and that helped me gain in confidence. This year I picked nine wickets in 10 games for Siechem Madurai Panthers and that brought me to realise that I have it in me to fight it out against the best. The Vijay Hazare Trophy was like a further boost as I got 22 wickets in 9 games for Tamil Nadu.”

As he prepares to play in the biggest league in the world, the spinner has his goals set. He wants to pick the brain of skipper R Ashwin. One of India’s best spinners, Ashwin is also the captain of Kings XI Punjab.

“I am really looking forward to playing with Ashwin. I want to pick his brain and learn as much as I can. I will also look to imbibe what I can from the other players because learning is an important aspect of this game and my journey has only begun,” he signed off.

First Published: Dec 19, 2018 12:39 IST