A meteoric rise saw Varun Chakravarthy, a mystery spinner from Tamil Nadu, go from unknown to IPL star. Initially a wicketkeeper and then a medium pacer, he prioritized architecture for seven years before reigniting his cricket passion. Stellar domestic performances, including impressing as a net bowler for Kolkata Knight Riders, led him to the TNPL and ultimately the Tamil Nadu state team.
Despite a hefty auction price tag in 2018, Chakravarthy only played once for Kings XI Punjab. Released in 2020, he shone for Kolkata Knight Riders, grabbing 17 wickets including a fifer. Retained in 2022, his performance dipped, but he bounced back in the next year with 20 wickets. Now, Chakravarthy aims to impress in the upcoming IPL season.
| Full Name | Varun Chakravarthy Vinod |
| Date of Birth | 29 August, 1991 |
| Nationality, Hometown | Indian, Chennai |
| Debut Year in IPL | 2019 |
| Teams Played | Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Current Team | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Batting Style | Right-handed |
| Bowling Style | Legbreak Googly |
Varun Chakravarthy IPL Salary
Varun Chakravarthy garnered significant attention in the 2019 IPL auction when Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) picked him up for a whopping INR 8.4 crore. This represented a staggering INR 8.2 crore increase over his base price, making him one of the highest-paid uncapped Indian players at the time. However, Kings XI Punjab released him in 2020.
The Kolkata Knight Riders saw his potential and secured him for INR 4.00 crore in the 2020 auction. They retained him for the same price in the following season. In a sign of his growing value, Kolkata Knight Riders included him among their three retained players for the 2022 season, doubling his salary to INR 8.00 crore. Notably, the Kolkata Knight Riders repurchased him again in 2023 for INR 12.00 crore. Varun Chakravarthy current IPL salary is INR 12 crores.
| YEAR | SALARY | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 8,40,00,000 | Kings XI Punjab |
| 2020 | 4,00,00,000 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2021 | 4,00,00,000 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2022 | 8,00,00,000 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2023 | 12,00,00,000 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2024 | 12,00,00,000 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
Varun Chakravarthy IPL Stats
Batting
| YEAR | TEAM | MAT | RUNS | HS | AVG | SR | 100 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | KKR | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 | 11.11 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | KKR | 11 | 12 | 10* | – | 66.67 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | KKR | 17 | 2 | 2* | 2.00 | 50.00 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | KKR | 13 | 10 | 7* | 5.00 | 66.66 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | PBKS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
Bowling
| YEAR | TEAM | MAT | WKTS | BBM | AVE | ECON | SR | 4W | 5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | KKR | 14 | 20 | 4/15 | 21.45 | 8.15 | 15.80 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | KKR | 11 | 6 | 1/22 | 55.33 | 8.51 | 39.00 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | KKR | 17 | 18 | 3/13 | 24.88 | 6.58 | 22.66 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | KKR | 13 | 17 | 5/20 | 20.94 | 6.84 | 18.35 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 | PBKS | 1 | 1 | 1/35 | 35.00 | 11.66 | 18.00 | 0 | 0 |
