Varun Chakravarthy etched his name in the record books after his brilliant five-wicket haul against England in the third T20I in Rajkot on Tuesday. This was his second five-wicket haul in T20Is, following his maiden fifer against South Africa in November last year.
With this performance, Chakravarthy became the first bowler to take 10 or more wickets in a bilateral India vs England T20I series. He had previously taken three wickets in Kolkata (1st T20I) and two in Chennai (2nd T20I).
India, opting to bowl first, found themselves on the back foot early as Ben Duckett dominated the bowlers, forming a 76-run partnership with captain Jos Buttler. However, Chakravarthy turned the game around by breaking the stand, triggering a middle-order collapse for England.
The mystery spinner applied pressure by conceding just three runs in the final over of the powerplay. He then struck a crucial blow in the ninth over, dismissing Jos Buttler. The England captain attempted a reverse sweep, but the ball faintly edged his bat before landing in Sanju Samson’s gloves. A TV review confirmed the dismissal.
Chakravarthy returned in the 14th over to further dent England’s hopes, removing Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton in consecutive deliveries. As England’s batters struggled against his spin, the 30-year-old wrapped up his five-wicket haul by dismissing Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer.
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Varun Chakravarthy’s Stellar Form Since His Comeback
Since his return to the Indian team last year, Chakravarthy has been in sensational form, picking up 27 wickets in just 10 T20Is. He is yet to make his ODI and Test debut.
He has been particularly effective against Bangladesh (5 wickets in 3 matches) and South Africa (12 wickets in 4 matches). Against England, he is currently the leading wicket-taker in the series. With two more T20Is remaining, he has a chance to extend his record further.