In the world of modern Indian cricket, there are plenty of stories of late-bloomers and unconventional journeys. But few are as surprising and inspirational as that of Varun Chakravarthy — a man who once earned ₹600 a day as a junior artiste on a Tamil film set, and today commands a US $300 daily allowance (about ₹25,000) as an international cricketer.
From architecture to tennis-ball to mystery spinner
Born on 29 August 1991 in Bidar, Karnataka, and raised in Chennai, Chakravarthy’s early life bore little resemblance to the high-flying world of cricketing stardom. He completed an architecture degree and even worked as an assistant architect for a time, earning around ₹14,000 to ₹18,000 per month.
But a series of setbacks and changing interests led him through music (he picked up a guitar), interior-design entrepreneurship (hit by Cyclone Vardha) and a brief flirtation with the film industry.
It was while he was loosely connected to a film shoot (the Tamil movie Jeeva) that one of the assistant directors noticed he played cricket. He was cast as a junior-artist (cricket-player role) and was paid ₹600 per day. “That was pretty helpful at that time,” he recalled.
From there, he returned to actual cricket — playing tennis-ball tournaments, switching from pace to spin after an injury, working his way through lower divisions, and eventually breaking through into the big leagues.
The big pay-jump: ₹600 → US $300 (≈ ₹25,000+)
On the podcast show hosted by Ravichandran Ashwin (“Kutti Stories with Ash”), Chakravarthy revealed the striking comparison:
“I signed as a junior artist for ₹600 per day. … Right now my daily allowance as a cricketer is US $300.”
That works out to roughly a 42-fold increase in daily income — from ₹600 to about ₹25,652 (convertible). It is emblematic of a massive transformation: from marginal earnings doing odd film work to being a member of the national cricketing set-up.
Where Chakravarthy stands now
- He is a key leg-spinner for his IPL franchise (Kolkata Knight Riders) and has featured for the Indian national team in white-ball formats.
- His background means he also carries the weight of expectations: that his “mystery spin” will deliver, and that his story will inspire the next generation.
- Off the field, his multifaceted past (films, architecture, music) adds to his personal brand and narrative — but he remains focused on cricket.
Varun Chakravarthy’s story is more than a “from rags to riches” trope. It is about transformation through persistence, navigating failures, and seizing the moment when it appears. For many young aspirants (in sport or any field), his journey offers a blueprint: you may not start in the “ideal path”, but with grit and readiness you can redirect, recommit, and rise.
