IPL 2019: 3 teams that could be in contention to buy Varun Chakravarthy
The IPL 2018 auction featured 578 players who went under the hammer to be a part of cricket’s mega event. The player auction in 2019 will not be such a grand affair with the three-year contracts already in place.
However, the teams will be looking to plug the gaps in the team formation and strategies. The mystery spinner from Tamil Nadu, Varun Chakravarthy, can be crucial in this regard.
Chakravarthy’s rise in the Indian domestic cricket has been meteoric. Playing in the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2018, he captured the attention of the state selectors with his phenomenal discipline and control in bowling. In the victorious campaign, he recorded an unbelievable economy rate of 4.7 from 10 T20 matches.
He was soon drafted into Tamil Nadu’s Limited-overs team and Chakaravarthy snapped 22 wickets from just nine matches, picking at least one wicket in each game.
The little-known twirler will definitely be on the radar of the IPL scouts. Chakravarthy may not fit into the schemes of a few IPL franchises like Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab as they already have mystery spinners in their ranks but here are three IPL teams who should definitely bid for him.
#3 Chennai Super Kings
If any IPL team rightfully deserves to have Chakravarthy in their lineup then it has to be the IPL 2018 Champions Chennai Super Kings. The 27-year-old is a product of the TNPL, and it will be only fair that a franchise that represents Tamil Nadu should benefit from it. Also, considering the fact that this will be Varun’s home state, the pitch and condition acclimatization will not be an issue.
Chennai Super Kings do possess Harbhajan Singh, Karn Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja as spin options and all three have proven their worth in T20 cricket over the years. Still, the novelty factor that Varun offers is a surprise weapon that can be used effectively.
Another aspect which can be immensely helpful for both CSK and Chakravarthy is having MS Dhoni at the helm. The Captain is an astute reader of the game and is a master at extracting the best from his players. MSD in a combination with a mystery spinner will be a treat for cricket lovers.