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India spinner Varun Chakravarthy has revealed a deeply troubling chapter from his career, speaking about the intense backlash and abuse he faced after testing positive for COVID-19 during the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League. Chakravarthy was among the first players to return a positive test ahead of a clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The fixture was initially postponed, but the situation quickly escalated, forcing the Board of Control for Cricket in India to suspend the tournament midway through the season after 29 matches, as COVID-19 cases began breaching team bio-bubbles. Alongside Chakravarthy, fellow KKR pacer Sandeep Warrier had also tested positive within the camp. Looking back at that phase during his appearance on the YouTube show Journey to Jersey, Chakravarthy described the emotional toll of being held responsible by fans for the abrupt halt of the tournament. “The worst was when IPL was stopped in 2021. It got stopped halfway because I got Covid. I was the first person to test positive. So the whole IPL had stopped,” Chakravarthy said. At the time, reports suggested that the mystery spinner had exited the bio-secure environment through official clearance to undergo treatment for a shoulder issue, where he was likely exposed to the virus. What followed, however, was a wave of online abuse that left a lasting impact on him. “There were people abusing me. Back then, IPL was the only way people were passing time. They were so angry that it was stopped. People were saying, ‘Why don’t you just die.’ It was that bad,” he added. Despite that difficult episode, Chakravarthy has continued to be a key figure for KKR. In the previous IPL season, he finished as the seventh-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets at an average of 22.52 and an economy rate of 7.66, with best figures of 3 for 22. Over the course of 83 matches for the franchise, he has picked up 99 wickets at an average of 23.74, including two four-wicket hauls and best figures of 5 for 20. He also made a significant impact at the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where he emerged as the joint-highest wicket-taker alongside Jasprit Bumrah with 14 wickets, though he conceded runs at an economy rate of 9.25.
