Varun Chakaravarthy made a remarkable impact in only his second One Day International, achieving a five-wicket haul during the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 Group A match against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. His exceptional bowling performance left the New Zealand batsmen struggling to counter his skillful variations. Following the match, the 33-year-old expressed gratitude towards Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for their support in easing his nerves throughout the game.

Chakaravarthy concluded the match with impressive figures of 5/42, claiming the wickets of Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, and Matt Henry. This outstanding display contributed to India's convincing victory over New Zealand by 44 runs, securing their position at the top of Group A.

Even seasoned player Kane Williamson found it challenging to decipher the mystery spinner's deliveries. Chakaravarthy's first wicket came from dismissing Will Young, and as the lower order came to bat, he seized the opportunity to take multiple wickets.

"I experienced some nerves at the beginning since I haven't played many ODIs for India, but as the match progressed, I became more comfortable. Virat, Rohit Bhai, Shreyas, Hardik, and others were all encouraging me to stay calm," Varun remarked.

Chakaravarthy was included in the playing XI in place of Harshit Rana, who was rested. His match-winning performance has made it highly likely that he will feature in the semi-final on March 4.

When asked about when he learned he would be playing, Varun stated, "I found out last night. I was certainly eager to represent my country and was looking forward to it, although I did feel a bit anxious."

"It wasn't a pitch that turned excessively, but if you bowled in the right areas, it provided some assistance. My performance was not solely my own; the contributions from Kuldeep, Jadeja, Axar, and even the pace bowlers were part of a collective team effort," he added.

New Zealand fail to chase 250 against India

Indian spinners Varun, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja effectively dismantled the New Zealand batting order, resulting in the Kiwis' inaugural loss of the tournament.

Kane Williamson emerged as New Zealand's leading scorer with a commendable innings of 81 runs. However, his dismissal at the hands of Axar Patel significantly contributed to India's triumph.

Earlier in the match, India set a target of 249 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted fifty overs after being invited to bat first. Shreyas Iyer was the standout performer for India, scoring 79 runs. For New Zealand, Matt Henry excelled with the ball, claiming five wickets.

This marks the first instance of a bowler achieving a five-wicket haul against India in the history of the Champions Trophy. Henry also recorded the second-best bowling figures for a New Zealand fast bowler in the tournament's history.

India is set to compete against Australia in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy on Tuesday at the Dubai International Stadium. Meanwhile, New Zealand will take on South Africa in the second semi-final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday, March 5.

Read Also: Kohli’s Frustration, Rohit’s Fury: KL Rahul’s Keeping Errors Cost India Against NZ

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