Self-imposed pressure key to World Cup preparations, says Varun Chakravarthy

India spinner Varun Chakravarthy says his T20 World Cup preparation is centred around backing his lengths, maintaining confidence and constantly challenging himself mentally even in matches that appear straightforward. The 34-year-old has 51 wickets from 32 T20Is, including six wickets in the first three games of the ongoing five-match series against South Africa.

Chakravarthy is vital for India’s title defence at the World Cup, which is scheduled to be held from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka. “It is very important to keep putting pressure on yourself to get ready for the World Cup,” the Karnataka-born spinner said on ‘Follow The Blues’ on Jiohotstar. “You have to challenge yourself even when there is no challenge. If a match feels easy, you have to create that pressure mentally and start challenging yourself.

“Confidence, bowling the right lengths, and understanding the opposition are key. That is one major factor I want to take into the World Cup. With a better understanding of the opposition, I think I can do well.” Chakravarthy said sticking to the basics and trusting his skill-set have been the key to his recent success at the international level.

“My plan is simple, stick to the basics and bowl my length. Sometimes it works, and thankfully in the last three matches, it has worked well. I will try the same in the next match,” he said. India and South Africa are set to face off in the fifth and final T20I on Friday. “When you are not confident, your mindset affects your skill. The key is to stay confident and back your skills. That is when you execute well, without much change. That is the secret to being consistent.

“At this level, you must be consistent, playing at the highest level is important to know where you stand,” Chakravarthy said. “In my first match at the international level, I struggled a bit initially and that’s when I understood a few things. I went back to practice and made corrections. So, it is very important to keep playing at the highest level.”