TV
India’s Champions Trophy 2025 victory was a celebration of grit, talent, and redemption and a few stories embody that better than mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy.
Once sidelined after India’s early exit in the 2021 T20 World Cup, the 33-year-old re-emerged as a key figure in India’s title-winning campaign in Dubai, taking 9 wickets and baffling batters with his signature spin. But Chakravarthy’s journey to cricketing glory was anything but conventional.
From Architecture to Acting
Speaking on Kutti Stories with Ash, hosted by former India test player Ravichandran Ashwin, Varun revealed his roller-coaster career path. A qualified architect, he earned Rs 14,000–18,000 monthly in his first job but left to pursue music. “I wanted to rekindle my love for guitar, but the passion didn’t last,” he admitted.
He later started his own firm in interior design, only to lose everything during Cyclone Vardha. “I was 24-25 then, and that failure hit hard,” he said.
Also Read: India likely to take on Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025
A Junior Artist with a Cricket Connection
His love for cinema led him to film sets, hoping to be an assistant director. When that didn’t pan out, he ended up acting as a junior artist in the cricket-themed Tamil film Jeeva, earning Rs 600 per day.
Ashwin, amused, asked his current match allowance. Varun smiled and replied: “300 USD (Rs 25,652),” revealing a 42x jump an emotional full-circle moment.
A Spin on Destiny
From cricket-themed movie sets to cricketing stardom, Varun’s tale is a tribute to resilience, reinvention, and belief. As he eyes India’s upcoming Bangladesh tour, one thing is clear this is only the intermission in his inspiring script.
