Varun Chakravarthy's Amazing Fifer (Source: @KKrKaravan/x.com)
The last night at the Dubai International Stadium belonged to Varun Chakravarthy. India’s mysterious spinner shattered the entire Kiwi lineup with the incredible fifer and gifted India a desirable victory.
But Dubai used to be a hunting memory for the spinner. But the last fifer has erased all the past horrors and set an example of pure brilliance. But after the game, the spinner revealed he was nervous ahead of his first spell in the match.
Varun Chakravarthy Opens Up On Emotion
Before stepping onto the last match against New Zealand, the Dubai International Stadium was a painful memory in Varun Chakravarthy’s mind. Because in the 2021 T20 World Cup, the spinner had a horrible outing against Pakistan, and the team faced a horrible 10-wicket defeat. But in 2025, his outstanding fifer against the Kiwis changed the entire perspective. After the match, he revealed the ‘emotions’ running in his mind before the match.
“In 2021, I didn’t have a great tournament here. But it looks good right now. I was a little nervous ahead of my first spell (vs NZ). The emotions were playing (in mind) because of whatever happened three years before at this ground,” Chakravarthy said.
In the last match, the off-spinner made his Champions Trophy debut, and his performance was nothing short of a dream. But he revealed his chat with the senior players played a crucial role in the game.
“They (emotions) were playing with me, and I was trying to keep it down, control it. But Virat bhai, Rohit, and Hardik were telling me to calm down. They were coming and talking to me. That really helped,” he said.
Transition From T20Is To ODIs
After making his debut in the T20Is a few years back, Varun Chakravarthy had to wait for his ODI debut until the last ODI series against England. Adapting between formats is a challenge, especially for bowlers, and after the game, he shared his thoughts on making that transition.
“In T20s, my sequencing of balls as in how I construct an over is totally different compared to the 50-over format. I was able to figure it out when I played the last two years in the Vijay Hazare Trophy,” he said.
“It really helped me to understand when I can bowl my incoming delivery or outgoing delivery or the straighter one or the top spin. It is completely different from what I do in the T20s,” he added.
Revealing His Magic On The Dubai Pitch
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium Pitch is known for its assistance to the spinner. But in the last match, it was not just the assistance; Varun Chakravarthy’s bowling excellence added extra magic. After the match, he reflected on that.
“It was not a rank turner which people were projecting it to be. But definitely it was holding on a bit, and it was deviating a little bit just to create the doubt,” he said.
“So, basically, you had to play around it. I would also dedicate my five wickets to the other bowlers as the way they bowled helped me pick wickets,” he added.
“It is a patience game. You just need to wait on such slow wickets, as the ball doesn't turn fast. So, you need to wait,” he concluded.
The last victory over the Kiwis propelled the Indian side to the top position of the group A’s points table. As a result, they are set to face Australia in the high-voltage semifinal 1. The cricket world is all set for another unmissable encounter.
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