Last Updated:March 03, 2025, 11:24 IST
Varun Chakaravarthy erased his painful Dubai memories with a match-winning five-wicket haul.
Champions Trophy: Varun Chakaravarthy starred in India’s win over New Zealand (AP)
Varun Chakaravarthy justified his return to the playing XI with a five-wicket haul as India beat New Zealand by 44 runs in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
ALSO READ | Varun Chakaravarthy Creates History, Becomes 2nd Indian To Take Five-Wicket Haul On Champions Trophy Debut
After the win, the Indian spinner opened up on redeeming himself after his horror outing in the T20 World Cup 2021, when the 33-year-old had figures of 4 for 33 in a 10-wicket drubbing by Pakistan during the 2021 T20 World Cup at the same venue.
“In 2021, we did not have a – I did not, personally, I did not have a great tournament here (India was knocked out in the Group Stages). But I do feel that I did bowl decently. But the results were not our way. But it looks good right now. And Team India is doing well. And the combinations have set very well so it feels good,” he said after receiving the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
“During the first spell of mine, I was a little nervous because the previous things, the emotions and all, were playing whatever happened in the last three years before in this ground. Where little bit, it was playing with me and I was trying to keep it down, control it. But Virat bhai, Rohit (Sharma) and even Hardik (Pandya), they were telling calm down, calm down. They were coming and talking to me. That really helped,” he added.
Talking about his approach to bowling in ODIs with learning from the shortest format of the game, Chakravarthy said: “In T20s, my sequencing of balls as in how I construct an over is totally different compared to the 50-over format. I was able to figure it out when I played the last two years in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (India’s leading one-day domestic competition, finishing with 18 wickets in six matches last season).
“It really helped me to understand when I can bowl my incoming delivery or outgoing delivery or the straighter one or the top spin. It is completely different from what I do in the T20s,” he added.
When asked about facing Australia in the semifinal, Varun said that no team can be taken lightly.
“Any team that comes, we have to give our best,” he said.
(With inputs from Agencies)
Location :
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
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