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Varun Chakravarthy Joins Kuldeep Yadav In Elite List After His 5-Wicket Haul Vs South Africa

Anurag Dasgupta

Chakravarthy picked up a fifer Vs SA [Source: @chinmayshah28/X.Com] Chakravarthy picked up a fifer Vs SA [Source: @chinmayshah28/X.Com]

India lost the second T20I vs South Africa on Sunday, but there was one shining light for the Indian team and that was the performance of Varun Chakravarthy. The wily spinner was at his unplayable best as he scalped a fifer to almost seal the win for his side.

The 33-year-old picked up 5 for 17 in his allotted 4 overs as India crawled back in the contest. However, his efforts went in vain as Tristan Stubbs alongside Gerald Coetzee kept their cool and sealed the victory to level the 4-match T20I series.

By grabbing a 5-wicket haul on Sunday, Chakravarthy joins an elite list and becomes the third Indian bowler to take a five-wicket haul in T20Is Vs South Africa. Forgotten man, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the first to achieve that feat, when he took a fifer against the Proteas in 2018.

Kuldeep Yadav was the second bowler, when he grabbed 5 for 17 against them in 2023. Interestingly, Chakravarthy's figures were the joint second best by an Indian spinner in T20Is. The top position is being held by Yuzvendra Chahal, who took 6 for 25 against England in 2017.

Indian batters failed to deliver the goods

On a spicy wicket of St George's Stadium, the Indian batters faltered and couldn't take the attack to the opposition. Last game's centurion, Sanju Samson was dismissed for duck, and the carnage followed as the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rinku Singh all departed cheaply.

All-rounder, Hardik Pandya stayed till the end, but he played a scratchy innings of 39* off 45 balls as India posted a paltry 124/6 and the target was achieved by the Proteas inside 19 overs.