Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to Varun Chakravarthy's five-fer vs New Zealand in 2025 Champions Trophy ft. Harbhajan Singh
Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy produced an exceptional performance to lead India to a 44-run victory over New Zealand on Sunday in Dubai. He finished with figures of 5/42 off 10 overs and deceived the Kiwi batters with his tight lengths and variations.
The Indian side batted first and managed to compile a 249-run total, with Shreyas Iyer (79) finishing as the top-scorer. Hardik Pandya (45) and Axar Patel (42) acted as strong supports.
Although the total wasn't daunting for the Blackcaps, the slow surface assisted the spinners and put them in an unfamiliar territory. Chakravarthy kept picking up consistent wickets to play a key role in New Zealand getting all-out for 205.
Interestingly, it was only the first game of the 2025 Champions Trophy for Varun Chakravarthy. On that note, let's take a look at how experts reacted to Chakravarthy's match-winning figures.
#1 Harbhajan Singh
Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh took to his YouTube channel to analyze India's impressive win over New Zealand. As per Harbhajan, the team management chose the right game to bring Varun Chakravarthy into the XI.
'Turbanator' feels the Kiwi batters made a mistake by not reading the hands of the spinner, which cost them. He said (from 2:48 onwards):
"India chose the right game to bring Varun Chakravarthy in the XI. Although, New Zealand play spin well, but not the spin of his level. You have to read his balls by his hands, but New Zealand made a big mistake of not doing that. They only saw whether the ball went away or was coming in after pitching. However, it is too late until that stage."
Harbhajan also hoped that Chakravarthy would be retained in the XI due to the same ground hosting the semifinal clash against Australia. He added:
"Congratulations to Varun Chakravarthy for picking up a fifer. Deadly bowling performance.Going forward in slow pitches like these, he will be a key player for India."
#2 Nikhil Chopra
Another former Indian spinner Nikhil Chopra reserved praise for Varun Chakravarthy's skills. Chopra thinks the 33-year-old handled the new and old ball well and also pointed out his variations, which put New Zealand batters under pressure.
Here's what he told on Ten Sports' 'Dressing Room' show (from 7:55 onwards):
"It's interesting when he was bowling the new ball, how well the ball was dipping inside. As the ball got older, his variations started becoming more visible."
Nikhil Chopra also recalled Varun Chakravarthy getting criticized after the 2021 T20 World Cup game against Pakistan in Dubai, where he returned with figures of 0/33 off four overs. The 51-year-old feels the criticism was uncalled for due to dew on the field, but also noted that the spinner's lengths were not on point that day.
"I am very happy for the architect Varun Chakravarthy because when India lost against Pakistan by 10 wickets on this very ground in 2021, he was blamed for the defeat. There was a lot of dew on that day, his lengths were a little short as well," Chopra said.
"However, he came to the same ground and managed to pick up five wickets. He will go back as a different bowler when he goes back today," he added.
#3 Shoaib Malik
During an interaction on PTV Sports, former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik lauded Varun Chakravarthy's control and lengths, which put New Zealand in trouble. He said (from 6:00 onwards):
"You notice one thing that not all spinners would have been successful on those conditions. I think the think-tank should be credited to bring low-trajectory bowlers, whose speeds are higher and bowl stumps-stumps are more successful."
Malik feels Chakravarthy was brought into the attack at the right time by skipper Rohit Sharma. According to him, the move resulted in New Zealand opting for an aggressive approach and giving away their wickets.
"The captain brought Varun at the time when the required run rate was over 6 and almost 7, which will force the batters to target him and give you wickets. It's great to have four spinners in Dubai, but the captaincy played a major role in India's win," he added.
#4 Rashid Latif
Former Pakistan keeper Rashid Latif appeared on Geo News' Hasna Mana Hai show. Latif pointed out Varun Chakravarthy getting dropped due to lackluster performance in the 2021 World Cup, but also praised him for a resounding comeback.
"He (Chakravarthy) played in 2021 against Pakistan and went for runs. He didn't play much after and then returned against England [actually South Africa Tour] this year, where he was consistent with his wicket-taking abilities," Latif said (from 1:50 onwards).
Latif also thinks Gautam Gambhir's confidence in Chakravarthy's abilities did wonders for the spinner. He added:
"The reason KKR became champion was due to him, and the Indian coach was the mentor for the KKR side as well. So, when you have a trust in bowler's skills, which was the key reason he was brought to the ODI setup and also replace Bumrah in Champions Trophy. They knew it would be difficult to read him on a dry pitch."
#5 Ravi Shastri
During the post-match analysis for ICC, former Indian all-rounder and coach Ravi Shastri praised Varun Chakravarthy for his wicket-taking abilities. He also feels it was the perfect time to "unleash" Chakravarthy in the Champions Trophy.
“Very impressed with him (Chakravarthy), and full marks to the think tank and the team management for making the right choice because he’s someone who will get you wickets in the middle overs. It’s the right time to unleash him. They brought him into the side; he’s got a five-wicket haul, and I think he’s there to stay,” former head coach Shastri said in an ICC video posted on Instagram.
Shastri lauded the spinner for his body language and confidence, and feels he will be successful in the knockouts as well.
"If you see his current form, and I always believe in current form – it’s vital and when you look at his body language, his self-confidence and his own ability and when you look at oppositions like New Zealand, Australia, South Africa that are left in this tournament, not many sides have played too much of him or seen enough of him," he added.