Varun Chakaravarthy names 3 Indian superstars he’d like to dismiss during IPL 2025

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has picked five batters, including three Indians, he hopes to dismiss during the 2025 IPL season. The 33-year-old named Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav as the Indian batters, while his overseas picks included Nicholas Pooran and Heinrich Klaasen.

Varun has thus far picked up only three wickets in as many games for KKR at an average of 24 and an impressive economy of 6.54. He played a massive role in KKR's title run in 2024, with 21 wickets in 15 outings.

Talking to JioStar about the batters he wished to dismiss in IPL 2025, Varun said [Via Times Now]:

"Players like Heinrich Klaasen, Nicholas Pooran, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav—these guys are all the star players. I would be very happy if I could pick their wickets."

He added:

"What I have learned till now is to just keep things very simple—don't try to do something very different, don't try to bowl a magic ball or create a magic moment. The most impactful thing you can do is stick to your basics, do them well, and execute them properly."

Varun has already had a crack at Kohli and Surya this season as KKR suffered defeats to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI). Rohit was unfortunately dismissed even before the Tamil Nadu spinner came on to bowl in the KKR-MI clash last night.

"You have to start from zero" - Varun Chakaravarthy

Varun Chakaravarthy has enjoyed a dream run since IPL 2024 [Credit: Getty]

Varun Chakaravarthy believes KKR's incredible title run in IPL 2024 will have no bearing on his or their performances in the ongoing season. The 33-year-old emphasized the importance of starting from scratch irrespective of his phenomenal last few months with the ball.

"The lesson is that you can have a great previous tournament, but again you have to start from scratch. That's what cricket teaches you. You can have fantastic two or three tournaments, but in the next one, you have to start from zero. So, that's what I'm preparing for—starting from scratch," said Varun (as per the aforementioned source).

Following his brilliant IPL 2024, Varun returned to the Indian T20I side and picked up 31 wickets in just 11 matches since. His brilliant bowling earned him a call-up to the Indian ODI side for the England home series and the subsequent Champions Trophy.

Varun continued his impressive bowling form with nine wickets in three ODIs, helping India win the 2025 Champions Trophy.