New Delhi: Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy on Friday said that the level of domestic cricket is equivalent to the Indian Premier League (IPL) and other international matches. He encouraged all players in the Indian cricket circuit to participate in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the T20 national competition of India.
The importance of international players participating in domestic cricket has come after India’s loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 down under. Many players from India’s Test squad like Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill turned up for their respective state teams as the second phase of Ranji Trophy resumed on Thursday.
Chakravarthy, who has regularly featured for Tamil Nadu in domestic competitions when not playing international cricket, has advocated for domestic cricket.
“The level of domestic cricket is extremely high. I would say almost on par with IPL and the other international matches we play. So, I would suggest everyone to play the Syed Mushtaq Ali because we play on small grounds. It is very challenging,” Chakravarthy said during the pre-match press conference of the second T20I between India and England in Chennai.
The leg-spinner claimed nine wickets in seven matches for Tamil Nadu in the last edition of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which concluded in December last year.
“I find it very tough playing SMAT. It has definitely helped me to get better, be more instinctive, be on my toes and think correctly at the right moment,” he added.
Chakravarthy finished as the second most wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, having picked 18 wickets in six games at an average of 12.16.
“The first thing begins with preparation, looking at the batsmen’s video and what are their early shots and what shots they are looking to play, and have they added a new shot in their book,” he said on preparing for different batters.
“Definitely, I do that research. Based on the pitch, certain shots work and certain shots don’t work. Based on that, I have a certain calculation in my mind and work around that,” he further explained.
Chakravarthy is currently playing for the Indian men’s team in the ongoing T20I series against England at home. He accounted for figures of 3 for 23 from four overs in the first match as India won by seven wickets to take a 1-0 lead. The two teams will again meet on Saturday for the next match in Chennai.
Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy believes the standard of Indian domestic cricket is liken to the IPL and international matches. He strongly recommends participation in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, highlighting its challenging nature and benefit to player development. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
