Thriller spin is a novelty that seldom goes unnoticed. So it was maybe inevitable that the league which launched the world to Varun Chakaravarthy would even be the one to provide Rohan Bhutra’s wrong-footed wrist-spin, with a number of variations in tow, a platform from which he may showcase his uncommon choices.
Rohan made his bow within the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League, rising because the Participant of the Match on debut for Madurai Panthers with measly returns of two for 9 in opposition to Salem Spartans. One other Participant of the Match award adopted for his 2 for 23 in opposition to Dindigul Dragons – the crew that handed him his first TNPL contract three years in the past.
Rohan, although, is simply half the story. It additionally entails his an identical twin, Rahul, a reputation that may be mistaken for Rohan (simply ask KL Rahul’s father, who wished to call his son Rohan). Rahul shares extra than simply his brother’s facial hair and physique, for his or her bowling actions are a reproduction of one another’s. And whereas Rahul is but to bag his maiden TNPL gig, the journey of those 24-year outdated twins is intertwined.
Chennai and the Bhutras have been arguably a match meant to be. Their maternal grandparents hail from Rajasthan however ran their enterprise in Chennai earlier than the twins themselves have been born there. Quickly after, the household migrated to Ahmedabad, the place their father ran a readymade garment enterprise.
The Bhutras had a factor for cricket, their father eager to get the brothers to make it massive within the sport. The brothers took contrasting paths earlier than stumbling upon thriller spin. Rohan was an orthodox off-spinner, earlier than movies of Varun Chakaravarthy bamboozling batters within the TNPL prompted him to deviate from the norm. Batting was Rahul’s major swimsuit, however he chanced upon one thing in his bowling which flummoxed batters at membership stage. Right this moment, he considers himself a bowling all-rounder.
“It was by no means deliberate,” Rahul tells Cricbuzz of the similarity in his and Rohan’s bowling motion. “It simply got here naturally to us.”
Rohan was signed by the Ashwin-led Dindigul Dragons in 2023. ©TNPL
Rahul and Rohan graduated by means of the age group pathways in Ahmedabad however upon lacking a district callup in 2019 – simply earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic – they have been at a crossroads. Because it turned out, the trail that beckoned took them again to their place of origin, for they have been eligible to play Chennai’s divisional cricket match with out having to serve a cooling-off interval.
The transfer was backed by their household. A lot in order that their father did not bat an eyelid earlier than promoting his store in Ahmedabad and shifting together with his sons to Chennai to gas their cricketing ambitions.
Because the archetypal Gen-Z go-getters, the twins sought out Srinath Suresh, a coach at Cricket Drome, a preferred academy within the southern locality of Thoraipakkam. Srinath took them on board and shortly sufficient, the brothers discovered themselves built-in into town’s famed divisional cricket tradition.
“After we first got here to Chennai, we have been a bit shocked to see the cricket tradition right here,” Rahul says. “It felt excellent that individuals take even native matches significantly. Even from second to sixth division, there are a variety of coaches who’re so interested by shopping for a crew and enjoying them in membership cricket. The coaches and help employees respect the gamers. They deal with gamers like their greatest buddies and take excellent care of them.”
With monetary help a necessity as they pursued a Commerce diploma in sports activities administration in Ahmedabad, the brothers discovered a godfather in Vignesh Krishnaraj, additionally one of many coaches at Cricket Drome when the Bhutras reached Chennai. It didn’t take Vignesh lengthy to be satisfied of the expertise that the twins possessed.
“I advised Rohan a couple of years again: ‘You might be undoubtedly an IPL product and can play the IPL. And I’ll make it easier to nonetheless I can to get you there,’” Vignesh tells Cricbuzz. He duly took the brothers underneath his wing, convincing their father that he would “take care of the boys like my brothers”.
“They wanted cash to remain right here. I organized match charges for them. It wasn’t sufficient for them however that is all I may afford,” Vignesh says.
As they toiled away within the third and fourth division in Chennai, the eagle-eyed TNPL scouts didn’t miss the various variations that they possessed. Rahul claims to have 4 variations and Rohan a couple of extra, marrying overspin and topspin to thrive on flat decks. It was Rohan who was signed by the Ravichandran Ashwin-led Dindigul Dragons in 2023, whereas Rahul was a internet bowler able to be summoned into the squad ought to a necessity for a alternative have risen.
Rohan didn’t function in a crew that already had Varun. However rubbing shoulders with the bowler he at all times appeared as much as proved to be an inflection level in his cricketing journey.
“I acquired his quantity and I began contacting him,” Rohan remembers. “He began giving me drills, he advised me what I may work on. I requested him to let me know if there was any alternative as a internet bowler.”
That chance beckoned when Kolkata Knight Riders arrived in Chennai for his or her IPL 2024 fixture in opposition to the Tremendous Kings.
“I acquired a message from Varun that Angkrish Raghuvanshi was going to bat at Amir Mahal Cricket Floor (a few kilometres off Chepauk) and if I may, I ought to go and bowl to him. The session went rather well – I troubled him and I acquired him out twice or thrice too,” Rohan says.
Phrase quickly unfold inside the KKR camp. AC Parthiban, Varun’s private coach, was impressed by Rohan’s bowling and a video recording of his exploits in opposition to Raghuvanshi reached Abhishek Nayar, then the assistant coach of the franchise. Rohan was quickly roped in as a internet bowler for the remainder of KKR’s title-winning marketing campaign.
It didn’t cease there although. Coaching at an academy throughout their low season in Ahmedabad forward of IPL 2025, the Bhutras have been requested to bowl to Shubman Gill, who turned up for a internet session. Having impressed the Gujarat Titans captain, they have been onboarded as internet bowlers for the season. A burgeoning repute started to develop.
Rahul and Ronal have been onboarded as internet bowlers by GT for IPL 2025. ©Rahul Bhutra
The twins’ meteoric rise continued as soon as Vignesh picked them for Rising Stars, the third division membership that he coached, for the 2025-26 season. Rohan had skipped the earlier season altogether to work on his bowling in Ahmedabad, whereas Rahul had restricted sport time. However such was their impression that by the tip of the 2025-26 season, Rising Stars had been promoted to the second division, with Rohan and Rahul having fun with a lion’s share of the wickets, with 30 and 25 scalps respectively.
“There have been occasions when one took 5 wickets, the opposite took 4 and these two completed the match all by themselves,” Vignesh says.
The impression of the duo bowling in tandem lies in refined variations which are laborious to select for batters dealing with them for the primary time.
“Rahul doesn’t get a variety of flip. His arm-speed is fast. He assaults the stumps lots and will get a variety of bowleds and LBWs,” Vignesh particulars. “The speeds he bowls, batters discover it robust to play him off the floor. That’s a giant plus for him,” he provides, citing that Rohan as a substitute extracts extra flip to pose questions of the batters.
The twins naturally slip into the Fred and George Weasley prankster mode in opposition to their teammates, deceiving them with their id whereas enjoying on reverse sides of their pre-match warmup. However Vignesh additionally witnessed the perks of extending that deception right into a cricket match.
“Whereas switching the brothers’ ends, a batter acquired out to Rahul considering it was Rohan. He performed for the flip and acquired bowled. Whereas watching by the boundary ropes, I overheard the opponent saying that they acquired confused since each look alike. So we used this ploy lots whereas rotating their ends and fooled opposition groups,” Vignesh says.
“After so a few years even I get confused as to who’s who,” he laughs.
Any uncertainty within the thoughts of their father is arguably at bay now. Rohan has begun with consecutive Participant of the Match awards for the Panthers, who’re perched on high of the factors desk. Rahul awaits his alternative within the league, whereas watching nervously each time his brother takes the ball in hand. In spite of everything, they continue to be one another’s closest confidantes.
“We focus on cricket 24 hours a day,” Rohan says. “No matter doubts I’ve with my bowling or batting, I am going to him and likewise, he involves me. The largest power we have now is that we have now somebody to debate the sport with. It turns into very easy and actually motivates us lots – if one brother is doing properly, the opposite also can do properly.”
It has by no means been a race between the Bhutra twins. Having lived this journey collectively, the street forward is one which they’re wanting to take collectively.
