India’s Varun Chakravarthy and his teammates (ANI Photo) Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy has revealed a deeply disturbing chapter in his career as he spoke about the intense backlash and abuse he faced after testing positive for COVID-19 during the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League.Chakravarthy was among the first players to return a positive test ahead of the clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The match was initially postponed, but the situation quickly escalated, forcing the Board of Control for Cricket in India to suspend the tournament mid-season after 29 matches as cases of COVID-19 began to disrupt team bio-bubbles.
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Ajit Agarkar is knocking on BCCI’s door asking for a huge extension | World Cup Along with Chakravarthy, fellow KKR pacer Sandeep Warrier also tested positive at the camp.Looking back on that stage during his appearance on YouTube’s Journey to Jersey, Chakravarthy described the emotional toll taken on the fans responsible for bringing the tournament to a sudden halt.“The worst was when the IPL was stopped in 2021. It was stopped in the middle because I got Covid. I was the first one to test positive. So the whole IPL was over,” said Chakravarthy.At the time, reports suggested that the mystery spinner had left the bio-secure environment via official clearance to undergo treatment for a shoulder problem where he was likely exposed to a virus.But what followed was a wave of online abuse that left a lasting impact on him.“There were people who abused me. Back then, the IPL was the only way people spent their time. They were so upset that it was stopped. People said, ‘Why don’t you just die.’ It was so bad,” he added.
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Despite this difficult episode, Chakravarthy continues to be a key figure for KKR. In the previous IPL season, he finished as the seventh highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets at an average of 22.52 and an economy rate of 7.66, with best figures of 3 for 22. In 83 matches for the franchise, he took 99 wickets and an average of 4, including 4 wickets for 253. 20.He also made a significant impact in the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where he emerged as the joint-highest wicket-taker along with Jasprit Bumrah with 14 wickets, despite conceding runs at an economy rate of 9.25.
