"He should have become India's primary spin weapon a long time back" - Fans hail Varun Chakravarthy's match-winning spell in 1st IND vs SA 2024 T20I
Team India mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy's rise since making his comeback continued with a brilliant spell in the first T20I against South Africa in Durban on Friday, November 8. He finished with figures of 3-25 to help India's case for a series lead in the four-match series.
The Men in Blue were firmly in the driver's seat after posting a mammoth 203-run target. The new ball bowlers backed the batters' efforts by picking up two wickets inside the first four overs of the run chase. To pile on the pressure, skipper Suryakumar Yadav introduced Varun Chakravarthy inside the powerplay itself. The move immediately reaped rewards as the spinner dismissed Ryan Rickelton off his second delivery.
South Africa's collapse continued into the middle overs, and Chakravarthy was responsible for the turning point. The mystery spinner dismissed the dangerous duo of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller in his final over, to more or less seal the win for India.
He conceded only three boundaries in his entire spell to mark a memorable evening. The spinner has been on the rise since the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), where he made a significant contribution to help the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) win the title. Chakravarthy received a call-up for the home series against Bangladesh, where he impressed with five wickets in three matches with an economy rate of 6.08.
Fans expressed their delight at Chakravarthy's comeback, and termed him as the best T20 spinner in the country at the moment.
"Varun Chakravarthy should have become India's primary spin weapon a long time back," one user wrote
"Always felt he was unfairly scapegoated for that 2021 campaign," another user tweeted
"To think that there were people out there who thought that KKR should release Varun Chakravarthy and look to buy him back at a nominal price," one fan opined
Team India secure a comfortable 61-run win courtesy of Sanju Samson and Varun Chakravarthy's heroics
South Africa never looked settled in the run chase, and were always behind in the game due to a lack of partnerships. A few heavy blows by the lower order reduced the margin of defeat by 61 runs, but India dominated the contest from the word go.
Samson's hundred in the first innings set the platform for the visitors. Then, Chakravarthy's three-fer along with a disciplined effort by the rest of the bowling attack ensured the win.
The second T20I of the series is scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 10 at the St. George's Park, Gqeberha.