Varun Chakravarthy reflects on his redemption after Champions Trophy fifer
What's the story
Indian mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy was at his best on his Champions Trophy debut. The spinner claimed a five-wicket haul against New Zealand in the last league game of the tourney at the Dubai International Stadium. Not only did this win exorcize his 2021 demons, but it also extended India's winning streak. The Men in Blue will take on Australia on March 4 in the first semi-final.
Player's evolution
Chakravarthy's journey from architect to cricket star
Chakravarthy's journey to becoming a key player in the Indian cricket team is nothing short of inspiring. Before he took up cricket seriously at 26, Chakravarthy was an architect with dreams of making movies. "After 26 is when I started dreaming about cricket. And all those things are happening. So yeah, it's been good right now," Chakravarthy said at the post-match press conference,
Performance recap
Chakravarthy's redemption arc in Dubai
Chakravarthy's show against New Zealand was a far cry from his last ICC tournament outing in 2021, which also took place in Dubai. Back then, he had gone wicketless in a T20 World Cup game against New Zealand, but now, Chakravarthy has claimed his maiden ODI fifer. "Yeah, of course, in 2021, we didn't have a - I didn't, personally, I didn't have a great tournament here. But I do feel that I did bowl decently.
Team dynamics
Chakravarthy credits senior players for support
Chakravarthy, who has been remarkable since his T20I comeback last year, also thanked senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He credited them for keeping him calm during the match, which enabled him to put up a stellar performance. "Virat bhai, Rohit and even Hardik were telling me to calm down...that really helped," said the spinner after his match-winning performance against New Zealand.
Career highlights
Chakravarthy's success in domestic circuit
Before his comeback to the ODI team earlier this year, Chakravarthy made his mark in the domestic circuit, especially at the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Tamil Nadu. His hard work and dedication bore fruit when he was named in India's ODI squad for a series against England. A successful outing there led to a change in the provisional Champions Trophy squad, setting the stage for Chakravarthy's dream run on this big stage.