I would suggest everyone to play SMAT, it is on par with IPL

India’s lead spinner in T20Is, Varun Chakravarthy has partly attributed one of the reasons for his strong comeback into the national fold has been his regular participation in the domestic circuit. The 33-year-old, who picked Man of the Match award in the first T20I against England featured in the SMAT and Vijay Hazare Trophy this season which were held at the conclusion of India’s T20 assignments in South Africa.
Having become a valuable asset since his comeback to the national fold during the series against Bangladesh, Varun Chakravarthy used the domestic tournaments to keep his rhythm flowing. And when asked about how far did these tournaments help him keep his good form going into the T20Is against England, Varun said the SMAT is now on par with IPL.
“Definitely the level of cricket in domestic cricket is very high. I would say almost on par with IPL and the other international matches we play,” Varun Chakravarthy said in Chennai on the eve of India’s second T20I against England.
“I would really suggest everyone to play SMAT because we play on small grounds and it is very challenging and even I find it very tough. So it has definitely helped me be more instinctive and to be on my toes and think correctly at the right moment,” Varun Chakravarthy added.
The SMAT in this season witnessed record boundaries and sixes being scored as state teams embraced India’s new-found aggressive mantra. Be it Mohali and Mullanpur or at Indore where Tamil Nadu – a team that Varun is part of – played their group matches, bowlers faced the wrath of the batsmen in small grounds.
Saturday will mark Varun Chakravarthy’s first international appearance at his home ground Chepauk. “Back in Chennai and in Blues is very important for me. Playing for my country in front of my parents and the home crowd. It is very special for me,” he said.
With Jasprit Bumrah not around, Varun’s mystery spin provides India the X-factor with the ball to counter England’s powerful batting line-up. In the first match he single-handedly broke England’s back in the middle overs before the batsmen completed the job.
Varun, though said there is no added pressure. “No, nothing as specific. My role is to just be aggressive and be brave and keep bowling at the stumps. That has been my role. There is no added responsibility. GG (Gautam Gambhir) and Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) make sure that there is no external stress on the players. They keep the external noise away,” Varun added.