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India's Varun Chakravarthy and teammates (ANI Photo)
India spinner Varun Chakravarthy has revealed a deeply troubling chapter from his career, discussing the intense backlash and abuse he endured after testing positive for COVID-19 during the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL). Chakravarthy was among the first players to test positive ahead of a match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The fixture was initially postponed, but the situation escalated rapidly, leading the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to suspend the tournament midway through the season after 29 matches, as COVID-19 cases breached team bio-secure bubbles.
Alongside Chakravarthy, fellow KKR pacer Sandeep Warrier also tested positive within the camp.
Reflecting on that period during his appearance on the YouTube show Journey to Jersey, Chakravarthy described the emotional toll of being blamed by fans for the abrupt halt of the tournament. "The worst was when IPL was stopped in 2021. It got stopped halfway because I got Covid. I was the first person to test positive. So the whole IPL had stopped," he said.
At the time, reports indicated that the mystery spinner had left the bio-secure environment with official clearance to undergo treatment for a shoulder issue, during which he was likely exposed to the virus.
What followed was a wave of online abuse that left a lasting impact on him. "There were people abusing me. Back then, IPL was the only way people were passing time. They were so angry that it was stopped. People were saying, 'Why don't you just die.' It was that bad," he added.
Despite this difficult episode, Chakravarthy has remained a key player for KKR. In the previous IPL season, he finished as the seventh-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets at an average of 22.52 and an economy rate of 7.66, with best figures of 3 for 22. Over 83 matches for the franchise, he has taken 99 wickets at an average of 23.74, including two four-wicket hauls and best figures of 5 for 20.
He also made a significant impact at the recent ICC Men's T20 World Cup, emerging as the joint-highest wicket-taker alongside Jasprit Bumrah with 14 wickets, although he conceded runs at an economy rate of 9.25.
