In 2014, a young Varun Chakaravarthy made a fleeting appearance in the Tamil film Jeeva, unaware that the movie’s storyline would one day mirror his own life. The film follows a gifted cricketer battling systemic hurdles, proving his worth despite being an outlier in the sport. Much like the film’s protagonist, Varun's journey in cricket has been anything but conventional.

Varun’s journey has been just as unconventional. Unlike most Indian cricketers, he didn’t rise through the usual ranks. There were no age-group tournaments, no steady path to the Ranji Trophy. Instead, he started with tennis-ball cricket, found his way into TNPL, and then fast-tracked to the IPL. Now, he is in the Indian team. At the Champions Trophy, playing his second ICC event, he is Rohit Sharma’s trump card.

Even after his methodical rise through the IPL, Varun initially felt out of place in the Indian dressing room. When he made his T20I debut, he was overwhelmed by the presence of senior players. Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun recalls Varun’s hesitation in setting his own field during his debut. "He was scared to even tell Virat Kohli what field he wanted. He just bowled to the field given to him," Arun, who now coaches him at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), told The Indian Express.

That phase, however, is now history. With more exposure and experience, Varun has gained the confidence to dictate his own game. "Cricket at the elite level is 90% mental, and Varun proves it. He returned to domestic cricket and the IPL, picked up wickets, and that confidence is now showing. He knows what to do when he has the ball in hand," Arun added.

Varun himself has spoken about the struggles he faced in his initial years. On a YouTube show, Fries With Potate, he opened up about his anxiety. "At 26, I had no background in fitness because I was working a 9-to-5 job. When I joined cricket, I kept failing fitness tests for three years. The Yo-Yo Test used to give me panic attacks. I still feel pressure, but now I know how to manage it.”

Varun’s journey is as unique as Jack Iverson’s. Iverson, an Australian cricketer, fought in World War II and later taught himself to spin the ball in Papua New Guinea. Just three years after starting club cricket, he played for Australia.

Varun’s rise was just as rapid. In 2016, he was an architect. By 2018, he was a mystery spinner. In 2019, he played in the IPL.

Before turning pro, he played in local tournaments. "People would say, ‘Hit a six, get ₹500. Hit a four, get ₹300.’ That’s how I earned money," he recalls. He also bowled in the nets for league players. One of them was Anirudha Srikkanth, son of former India opener Kris Srikkanth, who paid him ₹500 per session.

Breaking into professional cricket wasn’t easy. Most academies were filled with young players. At 25, Varun was an outsider. “I told them, ‘Don’t teach me. Just let me bowl for three hours.’ I bowled 300 deliveries every day.”

At first, he was a pacer. He struggled in the lower divisions. Then, one day, he switched to spin mid-match. "I took 28 wickets in four games. The next day, my name was in the newspapers," he says.

His mystery spin was self-taught. While recovering from a knee injury, he studied videos of Kumble, Rashid, and Zampa. At one point, he had 18 variations. Later, he cut them down to four. Varun’s big break came in TNPL, but not as a bowler. Karaikudi Kalais picked him as a batsman in 2017. "I played one match. Nobody lets me bat, sir," he joked to Srikkanth. “With the Impact Player rule, I don’t even get a chance now.”

By 2018, Madurai Panthers signed him for his bowling. A year later, he was with Punjab Kings, but his debut season ended in disaster. Excited and playing through a shoulder injury, he tore a muscle after just one game. "I had no clue back then," he admits.

His move to KKR in 2020 changed everything. Dinesh Karthik and Sunil Narine became his mentors. "Now, he knows exactly when to use his variations," says Bharat Arun. “It’s not the ones that turn, but the ones that go straight that get him wickets.”

But with success came trolls. In 2022, after taking just six wickets in 11 matches, he was mocked. "People called me ‘maesthri’ (construction worker) because I was an architect. Dream XI fans who lost money on me were the worst," he says.

Even with cricket taking over his life, Varun has never let go of his passion for architecture. "When I see an empty space, I imagine a building. When I see a batsman, I imagine what he will do next," he explains.

But his real dream? Filmmaking. He already has three completed scripts. "If Vijay (the Tamil actor-turned-politician) hears my story, he will say yes immediately," he told R Ashwin. “I want to see the world through my lens.”

With the unpredictable twists in his career so far, few would bet against him directing a blockbuster someday. But for now, cricket is his stage, and his mystery spin continues to leave batters guessing.