Indian cricket team in action during Champions Trophy 2025© AFP
Indian cricket team spinner Varun Chakravarthy revealed shocking details about his mental state after receiving threatening phone calls following a disappointing show in the 2021 T20 World Cup. In a recent interaction, Varun said that he was threatened on phone, his house was tracked down and he was even followed home from the airport after his poor performances. Varun made his name in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but was not that effective in the T20 World Cup where India were eliminated at the Super 12 stage. Varun did not take a single wicket in the competition and he recently revealed that the pressure was too much for him. He said that he suffered from depression and it was a dark time for him.
He opened up on the reaction from the fans after his campaign and shared horrendous details regarding how he received threatening calls, was stalked at the airport and his home was tracked down as well.
“The 2021 World Cup was a dark time for me. I even went into depression then. I came into the team with so much hype, and I did not even get one wicket. After that, I was not even considered for selection for three years,” he shared in a podcast with Gobinath on YouTube.
“After the 2021 T20 World Cup, I got threatening calls even before landing in India. They said that if I tried to come to India, I wouldn’t be able to. They even tracked down my home and things like that. Coming from the airport, I saw people following me on a bike. But I get that the fans are very emotional.”
Varun has staged a solid comeback and he was a big performer for India in the recently concluded Champions Trophy 2025. He took nine wickets in three matches as India clinched the title.
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