But even after New Zealand limited them to 249 thanks to a five-wicket haul from the mysterious Varun Chakravarthy during his first ICC event, the Men in Blue were still untouchable.
As the Champions Trophy 2025 continues, Team India has been winning. On Sunday, March 2, two clubs that had not yet lost a game faced off for the title of Group Leader.
That a journalist had a direct question for the obstinate spinner during the post-match press conference was therefore not surprising. When asked what kinds of variations he had in his bowling arsenal, Chakravarthy responded. Nevertheless, his response was far from direct. A secret-keeping mystery spinner? Totally comprehendable. It’s nearly a power move, actually. Surprisingly, Varun Chakravarthy wasn’t always interested in cricket. Up until the age of 26, he disclosed, he contemplated a variety of professional options, including architecture and filmmaking.
“Basically, sir, the ball travels straight ahead, inside, and outside. In his cheeky response to the journalist, Varun stated, “You can keep it that way, but you can also make some small changes.”
Prior to that, my aspirations were to become an architect and a filmmaker. I have therefore followed a variety of employment options,” he continued.
However, he has been working hard to earn a spot in India’s Champions Trophy semi-final playing XI at the age of 33 after destroying New Zealand with an incredible 5/42 in his second ODI. Varun, an IPL player with just one first-class match under his belt, embodies modern cricket by viewing the game more as a “career path” than as a lifetime passion. His persuasiveness, however, stems from reason and a thorough comprehension of his art and game.
“My ball sequencing, or how I put together an over, is completely different in T20 than it is in 50-over. whether Varun looked back on his cricketing career to date, he said, “The last two years in the Vijay Hazare Trophy really helped me understand when to bowl my incoming delivery, outgoing delivery, straighter one, or top twist.”
Rohit comments on Varun Chakravarthy’s bowling: “He doesn’t bowl us too many variations in nets.”
Additionally, India’s potent spin attack of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel assisted Varun Chakravarthy in feeling less pressure when playing against New Zealand. He doesn’t, however, divulge too much. His captain, Rohit Sharma, even respects and encourages his discretion.
“He doesn’t provide us in the nets with a lot of alternatives. He might not even want to show them to us. It’s a good thing, though. During the Champions Trophy’s early stages, Rohit stated, “He has certain weapons he wants to unleash when it truly matters.”
It may be difficult for India to exclude him now in Dubai, as the semi-final matchup with Australia is probably going to take place on a resurfaced field.
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