Mumbai, March 5: Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy expressed excitement about the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final clash against England, sharing insights into his preparation and mindset for the crucial match.
"Yes, I'm very excited because I know it will be a good game. They are very well prepared, and so are we, so I'm really looking forward to a great contest," Chakravarthy said while speaking to the broadcasters.
Reflecting on past encounters, he highlighted lessons from India's previous series against England but stressed the importance of adapting to the current game.
"Yes, there were a few things I learned from that series (against England last year), but I've also focused a lot on how they are playing now. The way they were playing then and the way they are playing now is quite different. So, I've taken a few lessons from the last time, but I've also studied their current approach," he said.
Chakravarthy, known for his deceptive spin, described his unique approach to evaluating performance, which relies more on his execution than conventional statistics.
"It's fine. I don't really focus on the results. If you ask me how I process my performance, I just look at the pitch map after the match. If the ball is landing where I want it to, then I'm happy. I don't really focus on how many runs I've conceded or how many wickets I've taken. Even wickets or runs don't matter that much to me; I just look at the pitch map," he said.
He recalled a challenging start to his career, illustrating his philosophy of adaptation.
"If I'm being honest, in the first match I played in the IPL, I was hit for 24 runs in my first over. So, you could say that the mystery was decoded in the very first over I ever bowled (when asked how will he adapt when his mystery is decoded). After that, it's just about adapting to the situation. It's been about eight years since then, and that's been the key," Varun added.
On facing England's dangerous opener, Chakravarthy remained calm and methodical, saying, "He's a quality batsman (Brook), but I've prepared well for every batsman. Let's see how it goes. I think the team that bowls well and hits the right lengths will have the advantage. But I believe we've prepared well."
Finally, he added a note about the playing conditions, highlighting the potential impact of dew. "Other than that, I just hope there's no dew so the contest remains even. Let's see how it goes," he said.
In what is a high-stakes game for both sides, England won the toss and elected to bowl first. India suffered an early setback as opener Abhishek Sharma fell to Will Jacks in the second over, but his opening partner, Sanju Samson, and top-order batter Ishan Kishan did not let that setback affect their momentum, as the Men in Blue raced to 67/1 in the powerplay.
