Varun: Gambhir 'brings Spartan mentality to the team'

Varun Chakravarthy, the top-ranked T20I bowler in the world, says India head coach Gautam Gambhir has fostered a "Spartan mentality" in the team, leaving "no option of losing". He also credited Gambhir and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav for his international comeback, after spending nearly three years out of the team.

"Definitely one thing which I can say about [Gambhir] is he brings a Spartan mentality to the team where there is no option of losing. You just have to bring your best and give everything on the ground and later on, whatever happens, happens," Varun said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday.

"When he is around, there is no mediocrity - you can't be mediocre in the field, that's what I feel."

Varun made his India debut in July 2021, but after enduring a tough campaign in the 2021 T20 World Cup, he was dropped and only played for India again in October 2024.

Since then, Varun has been a regular fixture in India's T20I XI and has also made his ODI debut and played a key role in helping the team win the Champions Trophy earlier this year.

"When I made my comeback again, Surya and GG [Gambhir], they spoke to me and they told me that we are looking at you as one of the wicket-takers. And they have backed me throughout. For that, I have to give them the credit.

"I was out of the team for more than three years, but I did have a consecutive good IPL. For them to recognise that and bring me into the team was great for me."

Varun, who has been left out of India's ODI squad for the Australia tour, spoke about the things Gambhir wants him to work on to enhance his chances in one-day cricket.

"Basically, the conversations were around bowling longer spells. Because in T20, you maximum bowl two overs back-to-back. But in ODIs, you have to bowl five to six overs back-to-back, which I did work on and I was able to do it in the Champions Trophy.

"And he wants me to bat a little more up the order in domestic circuit and improve on my batting."

Varun was also full of praise for fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who finished as the leading wicket-taker at the Asia Cup.

"Kuldeep is definitely one of the most experienced bowlers right now in the pool of players that we have and he has done amazingly well," Varun said. "I bowl at the speeds of 95kph and he bowls around 85kph, so we kind of complement each other. He has more revs and more turn, I have more speed and bounce, so till now it's been working well for us. Hopefully, we can do the same thing in the World Cup also."