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Deep Dasgupta has reserved high praise for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner Varun Chakravarthy following his match-winning spell against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in IPL 2023 on Thursday, May 4.
The former wicketkeeper opined that Chakravarthy has emerged as the leader of KKR's bowling attack this season. He suggested that the spinner has worked hard on his fitness, which has had a positive effect on his performance.
Notably, Chakravarthy shone with the ball for Kolkata against Hyderabad, bowling two tight overs at the death. With just nine runs required off the final over, the crafty spinner showcased great composure to help his team claim a crucial five-run victory.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo following the contest, Dasgupta explained:
"He [Varun Chakravarthy] has looked like a different player this season. He is catching well, running well and it seems he has worked a lot on his fitness. That's good to see, because you can see that in the confidence. He is a lot more consistent bowling-wise. He definitely is the leader of the pack right now."
Chakravarthy was named the Player of the Match for his fantastic spell of 1/20. He has bagged 14 scalps from 10 IPL 2023 games at an impressive economy rate of 7.99.
"My heart-beat was almost touching 200" - Varun Chakravarthy on bowling the final over in SRH vs KKR tie
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Varun Chakravarthy admitted that he was under a lot of pressure during the final over. He stated that his heartbeat could have touched 200 at that point.
The 31-year-old also pointed out that it was a tough ask for him, considering that the ball was slipping from his hand. He also spoke about the changes he made to his bowling after an underwhelming season last year.
He remarked:
"My heart-beat was almost touching 200. Definitely, the ball was slipping a lot. My best bet was the longer side"
"Last year, I was bowling around 85 kph. So I went back and was trying out many things and I realised that once my revolutions go down, my speed goes down. So I worked on my revs and that really helps."
With their win over SRH, KKR stay in the hunt for the all-important playoffs. The two-time champions have won four of their 10n games and are placed eighth in the IPL 2023 points table.
