India spinner Varun Chakravarthy has revealed that his preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup revolves around consistently backing his lengths, maintaining unwavering confidence, and deliberately challenging himself mentally—even in games that seem relatively easy.
The 34-year-old mystery spinner has claimed 51 wickets in 32 T20 Internationals, including an impressive haul of six wickets across the first three matches of the ongoing five-match T20I series against South Africa.
Chakravarthy is expected to play a crucial role in India's title defence at the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka.
"It is very important to keep putting pressure on yourself to get ready for the World Cup," the Karnataka-born spinner said on 'Follow The Blues' on JioHotstar.
"You have to challenge yourself even when there is no challenge. If a match feels easy, you have to create that pressure mentally and start challenging yourself.
"Confidence, bowling the right lengths, and understanding the opposition are key. That is one major factor I want to take into the World Cup. With a better understanding of the opposition, I think I can do well."
Chakravarthy emphasised that adhering to fundamentals and trusting his own skill-set have been the cornerstones of his recent international success.
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"My plan is simple: stick to the basics and bowl my length. Sometimes it works, and thankfully in the last three matches, it has worked well. I will try the same in the next match," he said.
India and South Africa are scheduled to clash in the fifth and decisive T20I on Friday.
"When you are not confident, your mindset affects your skill. The key is to stay confident and back your skills. That is when you execute well, without much change. That is the secret to being consistent.
"At this level, you must be consistent; playing at the highest level is important to know where you stand," Chakravarthy added. "In my first match at the international level, I struggled a bit initially, and that’s when I understood a few things. I went back to practice and made corrections. So, it is very important to keep playing at the highest level."
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