India star bowler Varun Char Chakravarthy reflected on his 2021 journey with the India squad after overcoming a hurdle of challenges. Appearing on a YouTube channel, Varun spoke on the time when he was first included in the Indian squad, which became the first to lose to Pakistan in a World Cup match. Now a key weapon in the Indian squad Varun helped the Men in Blue win the 2025 Champions Trophy as they went undefeated in the recently concluded tournament.

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Varun recalls 2021 horror show

"It was a dark time for me. I was depressed because I thought I was not able to do justice after I was picked for the World Cup with a lot of hype. I regretted not taking even one wicket. After that, for three years, I was not selected. So, I think the comeback to the team was tougher than the path to my debut," Varun said while speaking on a YouTube show.

In 2021, Varun was part of the Indian squad that lost to Pakistan for the first time in a World Cup match. The team led by Virat Kohli was outplayed on 23 Oct 2021 at the Dubai International Stadium as Pakistan won by 10 wickets. After the loss, the Indian team underwent major changes including the resignation of Virat Kohli as captain and Rohit Sharma coming in as the skipper.

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Varun was also out of the Indian squad until his recent performances for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) saw him earn a place in the Champions Trophy 2025. He repaid the trust showed by head coach Gautam Gambhir and helped India win their record-breaking third Champions Trophy title in Dubai. He was named Player of the Match on a couple of occasions and scalped five wickets in the group match against New Zealand.