Happy for Varun, Markande comebacks: Kumble | Cricket News – Times of India

MUMBAI: A striking, and rather refreshing feature of this year’s IPL, now at the mid-way stage, has been the massive success that the leg-spinners have enjoyed. If veterans Piyush Chawla (11 wickets in 7 games@17.45 for Mumbai Indians) and Amit Mishra (4 wickets in 4 games@16.25 for Lucknow Super Giants) have reminded us about their class, Varun Chakravarthy (13 wickets in 8 games @18.38 for Kolkata Knight Riders) and Mayank Markande (8 wickets in 5 games @16.75 for Sunrisers Hyderabad) have staged superb comebacks, and someone like a young Suyash Sharma (9 wickets in 6 games@21.66 for KKR) has made an immediate impact in his first IPL. In between all this, Yuzuvendra Chahal (12 wickets in 8 games@20.58 for Rajasthan Royals) and Ravi Bishnoi (8 wickets in 7 games@25.75 for LSG) have been tough to deal with as well.
At the top of this leggies’ table, and the wicket-takers chart in IPL-2023 is Afghanistan ace Rashid Khan, who has taken 14 scalps in 7 matches@16.14 for Gujarat Titans.
Naturally, the rich harvest reaped by the wrist spinners in the IPL so far has gladdened the heart of India’s leg-spin great Anil Kumble. The former India captain was particularly pleased with the coming back to form of Kolkata Knight Riders’ ‘mystery spinner’ Varun Chakravarthy and Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Mayank Markande.
“Varun was a part of the Indian team. After that, through injury, and also last season he didn’t have a great IPL. So, in that context he missed out. But I’m really happy for Varun to have shown what he’s capable of because we knew the talent (that he has) right from the time he played for KKR a couple of seasons ago and made an impact and took the team to the final in Dubai,” said Kumble, currently IPL expert on Jio Cinema, on Friday.

Kumble felt that unlike in the last IPL, which was staged only at a few venues, matches at different stadiums in IPL-2023 seemed to be suiting Chakravarthy’s bowling style. “Varun is certainly a very unique bowler. He has the ability. I’m really happy that he’s sort of worked things around. Because for a bowler like Varun, you know the action and speed that he bowls at, if the speed drops, then he’s not that effective. This year, I think he’s got back the speed that he was bowling at (earlier) and the trajectory, and also the nip off the surface. And the other fact also remains, that now that the IPL is moving around every city, he has adjusted to that, and it certainly helps his style of bowling. Because last season he struggled when matches were held at only four venues. And the confidence wasn’t there. once you get the confidence back, and once you start moving around, and playing on different surfaces, it certainly helps him. so, I’m really happy that Varun has come back (into form),” analysed Kumble.
Talking about Markande, who has worked under him at the Mumbai Indians a few years back, Kumble said, “A lot of spinners have impressed me. I don’t want to mention the usual names. One spinner who has done really well, and I’m happy that he’s done well is Markande. He’s someone whom we knew, when he played the first season for Mumbai a few years ago. He bowled really well and was instrumental in MI winning the IPL that year. I’m glad that he’s got his googlies, speed and accuracy.”