Having gone the last season without any off-spinner, the Chennai Super Kings were adamant about having off-spinners in the mix. They brought the established players in Moeen Ali and Krishnappa Gowtham, while also putting their weight behind a rookie off-spinner from Andhra Pradesh in K Bhagath Varma.
Bhagath Varma had played for India-U19 against England in 2017 and was in the Andhra Pradesh side for the Vijay Hazare Trophy held earlier this year.
Looking back at the auction when he was bought for by the CSK in the auction, Bhagath Varma said that he could not believe that the team as big as the CSK could trust his talent. He said that it took a call from his mom and friends that made him convinced about his selection for the IPL 2021.
“I was like frozen for a bit, a couple of minutes..like is it really me who has been selected for the CSK team. Later, I got a call from my mom and even she was not talking much and was in tears. Friends and families everyone were happy. Yes, I was very happy,” Bhagath Varma said in a video released by CSK on Twitter.
He said that dining the yellow jersey of the CSK was a special feeling for him and that walking around the Chepauk stadium with a real opportunity to play on the big stage was like a dream coming out to be true.
“Walking in here to the Chepauk stadium wearing this yellow jersey of CSK was a dream come true and it was really exciting for me. I was in the Vijay Hazare practice session when the auction was going on. So, when I came back to the hotel, probably the same time my name came in the auction,” Varma added.
Chennai Super Kings will open their campaign on April 10 against the Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.