'Why don’t you just die': India star reveals shocking death threats and abuse
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy revealed the severe online abuse he endured after testing positive for COVID-19 during the 2021 IPL, which led to the tournament's suspension. Fans directed hateful messages, including death wishes, towards him. Despite this traumatic experience, Chakravarthy has since become a key player for KKR and performed well in the recent T20 World Cup.
India spinner Varun Chakravarthy has revealed a deeply troubling chapter from his career, speaking about the intense backlash and abuse he faced after testing positive for COVID-19 during the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League. Chakravarthy was among the first players to return a positive test ahead of a clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The fixture was initially postponed, but the situation quickly escalated, forcing the Board of Control for Cricket in India to suspend the tournament midway through the season after 29 matches, as COVID-19 cases began breaching team bio-bubbles.
Alongside Chakravarthy, fellow KKR pacer Sandeep Warrier had also tested positive within the camp. Looking back at that phase during his appearance on the YouTube show Journey to Jersey, Chakravarthy described the emotional toll of being held responsible by fans for the abrupt halt of the tournament. "The worst was when IPL was stopped in 2021.
It got stopped halfway because I got Covid. I was the first person to test positive. So the whole IPL had stopped," Chakravarthy said.
At the time, reports suggested that the mystery spinner had exited the bio-secure environment through official clearance to undergo treatment for a shoulder issue, where he was likely exposed to the virus. What followed, however, was a wave of online abuse that left a lasting impact on him. "There were people abusing me.