'A Lot Of Distance Was Travelled To Get A Taste Of This Cup'

Varun Chakravarthy savoured his Champions Trophy triumph with a cuppa in Dubai, reflecting on his tough journey back to the top.

His last stint with the Indian team in the UAE, during the 2021 T20 World Cup, was one to forget. He went wicketless in three matches as India crashed out in the group stage.

It took him three years to force his way back into the Indian team courtesy of some stellar performances for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and for Tamil Nadu in domestic white ball cricket.

However, the 33 year old's journey back to the Indian team was anything but smooth. Despite being the joint-highest wicket-taker in the 2023-2024 Vijay Hazare Trophy with 19 scalps, he had to endure the frustration of watching from the sidelines.

His standout IPL 2024 season, where he played a key role in Kolkata Knight Riders' title-winning campaign with 21 wickets in 15 matches, still wasn't enough to secure a T20 World Cup spot.

Adding to his frustration, he was overlooked for India's five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe in July where selectors rewarded IPL's top performers.

His fortunes finally changed with a call-up for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh at home last year and there has been no looking back since then.

'A lot of distance was travelled to get a taste of this Cup!!' an emotional Varun captioned his Instagram post.