IPL 2024: Planned To Make Rohit Sharma Hit Across the Line – Varun Chakaravarthy

IPL 2024: Varun Chakaravarthy revealed how he plotted Rohit Sharma's downfall, who played an unusually slow knock.

IPL 2024: Varun Chakaravarthy explained how he plotted Rohit Sharma's downfall in KKR vs MI.

(Photo: BCCI)

Despite playing at the Eden Gardens – a ground where Rohit Sharma has played some of the more remarkable knocks of his career – there was no change in the form and fate of the former Mumbai Indians skipper. In a chase of 158 runs from 16 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders, in match 60 of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), the 37-year-old played a usually slow knock, scoring merely 19 runs in 24 deliveries at a strike rate of 79.17.

Among the more peculiar aspects of his batting today was how he struggled against Varun Chakaravarthy, although he has never been dismissed by the KKR leg-spinner. Rohit faced a total of eight deliveries off Chakaravarthy’s bowling, where he attempted multiple reverse-sweeps but could not connect any, before losing his wicket to a sweep. Overall, only three runs came from those eight deliveries.

After the match, Chakaravarthy revealed how he plotted the opening batter’s downfall by forcing him to play across the line, stating:

I had never taken Rohit bhai's wicket. I meticulously planned and it came off. The plan was to make him hit across the line and not through the line. Obviously, there was help from the wicket and I was able to use it to my advantage.

Varun Chakaravarthy

Chakaravarthy had a difficult start to the season, before eventually finding his feet. He conceded 55 runs in the first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and a few matches later, proved to be expensive against Punjab Kings by conceding 46 runs.

The wickets were too flat initially. The mishits were going for six. My bowling has been the same from the first match, it is just that the results are showing up now. 

Varun Chakaravarthy