India’s celebrated mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, recently shared a truly unforgettable moment from his past that perfectly encapsulates his profound love for cricket. Turns out, his obsession with the sport runs so deep that he even carried a cricket ball to his own wedding reception – a habit he playfully admits has become second nature.
During a candid chat on “Breakfast with Champions” with Gaurav Kapur, the 34-year-old revealed that it’s rare to find him without a cricket ball in hand. “If you meet me anywhere else, at any time of the day, you will find a ball with me. I always carry it. I do not even realise that I have carried it to a place,” Varun explained.
The Kolkata Knight Riders star vividly recounted the amusing incident from his special day. “I did that in my reception as well as at my own wedding reception. I ended up taking the ball to the stage and then gave it to my brother to take it away. If that skin of the ball does not touch my hand, I start getting withdrawal symptoms like something is missing,” he chuckled, highlighting the extent of his dedication.
What makes Varun’s story even more fascinating is that he wasn’t always a cricket enthusiast. He was a ‘late bloomer’, only seriously pursuing the sport at the age of 26 after exploring various other interests. He recalled his earlier years filled with diverse aspirations: “If I go before 26, 24-26, it was all about movies. Before 24, it was about becoming the best architect in the world.” Architecture, filmmaking, and music were all passions he pursued before cricket took over.
Facing age restrictions that barred him from conventional academies, Varun ingeniously turned to the internet for his training. “My only guru, the ‘sakshat’ guru, was YouTube. I kept seeing videos with at least 200-300 hours of bowling footage of Sunil Narine, Shahid Afridi, and Rashid Khan. Anil Kumble, I have watched easily thousands of hours of his bowling. This ignited a spark within me,” he shared, detailing his unconventional learning path.
Since his YouTube-fueled enlightenment, Varun has carved out an impressive career. He boasts 40 wickets in 24 T20Is for India and over 100 wickets in the Indian Premier League, including a title-winning season with KKR in 2024. His remarkable journey from a self-taught spinner to one of India’s premier T20I bowlers is truly as unique as the man who, without a second thought, brought his beloved cricket ball to his wedding stage.