At the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, little-known all-rounder and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy was snapped up by Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) for a lucrative sum of INR 8.4 Crores. The Tamil Nadu cricketer is highly praised for his mystery spin and even Harbhajan Singh felt that the spinner has the potential to play for India in future. “Had a close look at him last year at CSK nets... This guy Varun Chakravarthy have the potential to play for INDIA.. selectors should keep an eye on him.. he is a fast and furious spin bowler.. another mystery spinner,” Harbhajan wrote after KXIP bought Chakravarthy. 2019 IPL Auction- As it Happened.

Chakravarthy, interestingly, had a base price of INR 20 Lakhs and a bidding war between franchises saw his price shoot up in crores. That clearly showed few franchises were looking for him and the spinner eventually went to Kings XI.  IPL 2019 Auctions: Uncapped Varun Chakravarthy Sold to Kings XI Punjab for 8.4 Crore, Jaydev Unadkat Returns to Rajasthan Royals.

The 27-year-old spinner started playing cricket when he was 13 and at first, he began as a wicketkeeper-batsman. Chakravarthy, however, stopped playing cricket when he joined college and started pursuing architecture. He resumed playing cricket again, but as a fast bowler. He eventually found his prowess as a spinner. Here are a few more details you need to know about this new mystery spinner.

The Net Bowler: Chakravarthy has helped Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsmen prepare for games in the nets. During the IPL 2018, the spinner bowled to CSK batsmen in the nets before their home games were moved to Pune. He was later called by KKR for his services in the nets and is said to have received inputs from Windies mystery spinner Sunil Narine. The spinner also attended Mumbai Indians’ trials ahead of the 2019 IPL Auction.

Stint in TNPL: After working in the nets for CSK and KKR, the bowler joined Madurai Panthers in Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2018. He helped Madurai Panthers win their first TNPL title. Chakravarthy picked nine wickets from ten with an impressive economy 4.7 per over. Also, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he picked 22 wickets at an economy of 4.22 per over. Most Expensive IPL Players: List of Cricketers From All Seasons Who Won The Highest Bids in Auctions.

Chakravarthy’s Armoury: ESPN Cricinfo reports, that Chakravarthy has seven variations up his sleeve, which includes off-break, leg-break, googly, carrom ball, flipper, top-spinner and a slider which is bowled at a yorker length. Now that’s a pretty impressive skill set to have. Can he make them count in IPL? Only time will tell!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 18, 2018 07:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).