Varun Chakaravarthy vs Ravichandran Ashwin – comparing their stats after 73 IPL games

Varun Chakaravarthy made an impressive comeback in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)'s second IPL 2025 game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati on Wednesday (March 26). In their first game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), he returned with figures of 1/43 from his four overs.

However, against RR, he picked up two wickets, giving away just 17 runs from his four overs. Since the limited-overs series against England and the 2025 Champions Trophy, Varun Chakaravarthy has been in solid form and is among the wickets in the ongoing IPL season as well.

Looking at his senior statesperson Ravichandran Ashwin, the off-spinner recently announced his retirement from international cricket and was picked by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during the IPL 2025 mega auction. Ashwin had a decent outing in their first game against Mumbai Indians, with figures of 1/31 from four overs.

With both of them participating in the ongoing IPL, let us compare their stats after their first 73 games in the cash-rich league.

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Comparing the stats of Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravichandran Ashwin after 73 IPL matches

#1 Most wickets

Ravichandran Ashwin has played 213 matches in the IPL overall and has picked up as many as 181 wickets. He began his career with CSK and played for teams like Rising Pune Supergiant, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals before returning to Chennai this year. Looking at his numbers from his first 73 IPL games, Ashwin had picked up 70 wickets.

Meanwhile, Varun Chakaravarthy is ahead of Ashwin in terms of wickets taken after 73 IPL matches. Varun began in 2019 for Punjab and moved to KKR in 2020. He has picked up 86 wickets in his IPL career so far.

Player	Matches	Innings	Wickets
Varun Chakaravarthy	73	72	86
Ravichandran Ashwin	73	71	70

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#2 Average and Economy rate

Ravichandran Ashwin has an overall bowling average of 29.83 in the IPL with an economy rate of 7.12. Looking at his numbers from his first 73 matches, he had an average of 23.48 and an economy rate of 6.31.

On the other hand, Varun Chakaravarthy has a slightly higher average of 23.97 from his first 73 IPL games. However, his economy rate of 7.56 is higher than that of Ashwin at a similar stage. Varun has therefore been slightly more expensive as compared to Ashwin from 73 IPL matches.

Player	Matches	Average	Economy Rate
Varun Chakaravarthy	73	23.97	7.56
Ravichandran Ashwin	73	23.48	6.31

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#3 Most 4-wicket and 5-wicket hauls

Ravichandran Ashwin has just one four-wicket haul in his entire IPL career of 213 matches so far. The off-spinner still does not have a five-wicket haul to his name in the league. From his first 73 IPL games, he did not have a single four-wicket haul either, with best figures of 3/16 during the 2011 season.

Varun Chakaravarthy has an edge over Ashwin in this comparison. The 33-year-old already has a four-wicket and a five-wicket haul in his first 73 IPL games. His five-wicket haul came in the 2020 season while his four-wicket haul came in 2023. Varun's best figures of 5/20 are also better than those of Ashwin at a similar stage.

Player	Matches	4-wicket haul	5-wicket haul	Best Figures
Varun Chakaravarthy	73	1	1	5/20
Ravichandran Ashwin	73	-	-	3/16

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Conclusion

Ravichandran Ashwin is a veteran off-spinner and has been among the wickets in the IPL as well. While he has 181 wickets in his career so far, Varun Chakaravarthy is ahead of him in terms of wickets taken from the first 73 IPL matches.

While both bowlers have a similar average more or less, Ashwin has been more economical. However, Varun has created impact with a four-wicket and a five-wicket haul already.

During this period, both bowlers have played key roles in helping their teams win an IPL title. In fact, Ashwin won two titles with CSK in 2010 and 2011 during this period while Varun has won the IPL only once when KKR won last year in 2024.