Varun Chakravarthy, a mystery spinner for Kolkata Knight Riders, made a strong comeback to the Indian T20I team in 2024 after a three-year absence. He has been a key wicket-taker for KKR and recently claimed a fifer in a major ODI tournament.
Varun Chakravarthy has become a widely discussed name among cricket fans in recent years. Over the past few seasons, he has delivered standout performances for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Though he debuted in 2021, his form dipped, leading to his exclusion from the Indian team after the disappointing T20 World Cup 2021 campaign. However, after a three-year gap from national selection, he was recalled to the T20I squad, where he played a match-winning role with his outstanding bowling. His ability to confuse batters with his deliveries has made him a mystery spinner, and since joining KKR in 2020, he has been one of their most reliable bowlers. He has been the team’s top wicket-taker in four of the last five seasons, including a fifer on his ODI debut during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 group stage match against New Zealand, proving his immense talent. Varun Chakravarthy was born on August 29, 1991, in Bidar, Karnataka. His parents, who are of Tamil and Kannada descent, raised him in Adyar, Chennai, which is why he represents Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket. During his schooling at St. Patrick’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, he initially played cricket as a wicket-keeper but later shifted focus to academics. He earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from SRM University before deciding to leave his job as an architect at 25 to pursue cricket professionally. Varun Chakravarthy is a Hindu, following the religion since childhood due to his Tamil and Kannada heritage. Details about his caste remain undisclosed. His family has no sporting background, as he was academically inclined until he switched careers at 25 to become a professional cricketer. He is the first sports professional in his family, which previously had members working in corporate or government jobs. Varun Chakravarthy’s father, C.V. Vinod Chakravarthy, is a half-Tamil and half-Malayali employee of the Indian Telecommunications Service (ITS) under BSNL. Only his name and profession are publicly known. His mother, Malini Chakravarthy, is a homemaker from Karnataka. No additional information about her is available. Varun Chakravarthy has no brothers, only a sister named Vanditha Chakravarthy, with no further details about her accessible online. There is no official Varun Chakravarthy Facebook account, despite multiple unverified profiles using his name. Varun Chakravarthy is married to Neha Khedekar in a private ceremony held in Chennai. The couple dated for several years before deciding to marry in 2020, though their plans were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They now have a son named Aathman, and Varun often shares photos of his family on social media. Estimates place Varun Chakravarthy’s net worth at around ₹40 crore, derived from his Grade C BCCI central contract (₹1 crore annually), IPL earnings, match fees from international and domestic matches, and various brand endorsements and sponsorships. Varun Chakravarthy started his cricket journey relatively late, taking up the sport seriously at 25 after beginning with tennis ball cricket. Initially a fast bowler, a knee injury in early 2017 sidelined him for six months, prompting him to switch to spin bowling. His unorthodox action makes it difficult for batters to read his deliveries, a trait that has defined his career. Strong domestic performances paved his way into the IPL and eventually the Indian team. His standout performances in the Asia Cup 2025 helped him reach the top spot in the ICC T20I bowler rankings. In the IPL, Varun Chakravarthy has played 84 matches, claiming 100 wickets at an economy rate of 7.57 and an average of 23.85. He has one four-wicket and one five-wicket haul, with his best figures being 5/20. He serves as the lead bowler for KKR in the IPL. Varun Chakravarthy’s career has experienced several highs and lows. He first gained attention for his mystery spin and became the leading wicket-taker in the TNPL in 2018. This success earned him an IPL contract with KXIP for ₹8.4 crore in the 2019 auction. He received his first call-up to the Indian T20I squad during the 2020 Australia tour but debuted against Sri Lanka in 2021. He was also part of India’s squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, delivering the second-best T20I bowling figures in a losing effort. Notably, he became the second-oldest Indian to make his ODI debut after Farookh Engineer. Varun Chakravarthy is an Indian cricketer celebrated for his mystery spin, a combination of an unusual action and leg-spin deliveries. He has proven himself as a match-winner for both India and KKR. What is Varun Chakravarthy’s age and birth date? Varun Chakravarthy was born on 29 August 1991, making him 34 years old as of 2025. When did Varun Chakravarthy get married? Varun Chakravarthy married his long-term partner Neha Khedekar in 2020 after postponing their wedding due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What is Varun Chakravarthy’s IPL salary for 2025? Varun Chakravarthy earned ₹12 crore in the IPL 2025 season. All images used are for editorial purposes only. License solely with Getty/Source.