'Underprepared Pitches In Japan Might Aid Spin,' Says Chakaravarthy Ahead Of Asian Games Challenge

Underprepared pitches in Japan might aid spin, says Chakaravarthy ahead of Asian Games challenge (Manchester: England vs India, 2nd T20I)

Korogi Sports Park: Expecting ‘underprepared’ tracks in Japan, India wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy believes spinners could play a pivotal role in the team's upcoming Asian Games campaign, even as he cautioned that unpredictable weather conditions will ultimately dictate how the pitches behave during the tournament.

Chakaravarthy has fully recovered from a Grade 2 left hamstring injury sustained during the T20I series against England, including doing rehab at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. In the Asian Games men’s T20 event, India, the gold medal winners in the last edition in Hangzhou, will begin their campaign from the quarter-final stage in Aichi-Nagoya.

"That's how it has been scheduled, so I don't have any say in that. But definitely every match and every tournament needs preparation, and that we have to do. So it's just like every other tournament – we will prepare well and whatever comes our way, we will take it," Chakaravarthy said in an exclusive interaction with IANS, facilitated by ASICS India.

Assessing the playing conditions at the Korogi Sports Park ahead of the marquee event, Chakaravarthy, who will also be in action for India’s T20Is against Afghanistan and the historic one-off clash against Japan, noted that adaptability will be key for the bowling unit.

"What I've seen is that the pitches might be a little bit underprepared. So it might help spin, but I don't know how the weather in Japan will play a role in the way pitches behave. It can have a big impact as well. We are just preparing for facing all kinds of conditions, and let's see how it goes," he added.

Reflecting on the year so far, which saw him finish as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps in India's T20 World Cup triumph on home soil, Chakaravarthy termed it as a ‘rollercoaster’.

"It’s been lovely. I have no complaints at all. It's been a great journey till now and we won the World Cup this time, so everything is going well. I did have one hiccup with my injury, but I'm back. I feel fitter. I've done a lot of strength training and running. Credit goes to the CoE, where I trained a lot," he said.

Chakaravarthy, who also picked up 11 wickets in IPL 2026 while battling through hairline fractures in his left hand and toe, takes pride in his unconventional rise through the ranks.

"I started cricket very late. I started bowling when I was 26 and I played for India when I was 28 and a half. I'm a very late bloomer. It's been seven to eight years in cricket right now and I would say I'm in the first half of my career. There is a long way to go ahead and it's been an unconventional journey till now and I think it's going to be more like that," he reflected.

Speaking on evolving his craft, Chakaravarthy revealed that while he continuously works on adding fresh variations behind the scenes, polishing his existing skill set remains his primary objective.

“Well, it's a combination of both. Obviously, polishing and mastering the skill is always the primary thing and bringing in other variations is always on the back of my mind. I'm also working on certain new variations. When I will be able to master it is a different question, but it's a mix of both.”

Asked how he guards his mystery balls from high-tech cameras and tactical analytics, Chakaravarthy stressed that execution under pressure overrides technology. “As you mentioned, there are no secrets anymore because there are so many video analysts everywhere, and everything that you do is being recorded.

“The only thing is the human touch in cricket, where the batter won't know what I'm going to bowl to them. That has to be decided by me and I don't think any AI or video analyst can predict that. So, that's what we have to play with.”

Rather than plotting long-term milestones in a highly volatile sport, the Chennai-based Chakaravarthy prefers setting incremental targets. “I set more short-term goals rather than long-term goals because I don't think I'll be able to plan for five years down the line, but I'll be able to plan what I want to do in the next six months. I'm that sort of a guy, so I focus more on short-term goals.”

“The only thing is the human touch in cricket, where the batter won't know what I'm going to bowl to them. That has to be decided by me and I don't think any AI or video analyst can predict that. So, that's what we have to play with.”

“That's when I started wearing them, and they were among the best I've ever worn out of all the brands out there. So when ASICS approached me, I was ready to cling on to it. It is one of the best performance brands out there, so no complaints.”

Article Source: IANS