Team India spinner Varun Chakravarthy has revealed the big role both coach Gautam Gambhir and T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav have played in his comeback to the Indian team.
In an exclusive interview with RevSportz, Varun said that both Surya and Gambhir gave him confidence, and that encouragement pushed him forward.
“Yes, Surya (Kumar Yadav) and Gautam (Gambhir), I feel, have played big roles in my comeback because they wanted me. Surya told me before the Bangladesh tour that ‘I’m looking at you, let’s see how the other things go, but I’m keen on having you in the team set-up.’ Similarly, Gauti Bhai has also helped me a lot in my comeback, the way he motivates me. Even if we talk little, he has always given me good confidence and he’s always told me that ‘no matter who’s going to ignore you, I will keep you in my plans for now.’ So that kind of gave me confidence,” he said.
Varun also claimed that as a mentor, Gambhir brings a warrior mentality to the dressing room. Notably, Varun has worked with Gambhir while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and also for India during the successful Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year.
“And if you ask about Gauti Bhai as a mentor, then I would say he brings in a warrior mindset in the dressing room, which is very important and has worked for us at KKR and in the Champions Trophy. We even got to see that in the recently concluded England vs India Test series. He brings energy to the dressing room, which is very important. Around him, I always feel there is no mediocrity. You give everything you have, and it doesn’t matter whether you win or you lose,” Varun added.
Varun also praised Surya’s leadership qualities and highlighted the similarities with Rohit Sharma’s style of captaincy.
“And about Surya, he is someone very similar to Rohit [Sharma] – that’s what I’ve seen. He is very tactically sound, and maybe his time at MI (Mumbai Indians) has given him good exposure to great captains. He is a very good guy and never puts pressure on the bowlers. It would be a bowler’s delight to have a captain like him,” Varun concluded.
