NEW DELHI: India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy showcased his brilliant form with a five-wicket haul in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, helping Tamil Nadu bowl out Rajasthan for 267 in the pre-quarterfinal match at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on Thursday.
Chakaravarthy returned impressive figures of 5 for 52 in nine overs, dismantling Rajasthan’s top order just when they looked set for a massive total. Tamil Nadu captain R Sai Kishore’s decision to bowl first paid dividends as Rajasthan lost their first wicket early, managing only 24 runs in the first ten overs.
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However, a second-wicket stand of 160 between centurion Abhijeet Tomar (111 off 125 balls) and captain Mahipal Lomror (60 off 49 balls) turned the tide. At 184/1 in 31.1 overs, Rajasthan appeared poised for a dominating score.
Varun stepped up at a critical juncture, bowling Lomror in the 32nd over to end his brisk innings. He followed it up with the wickets of Deepak Hooda (7) and Tomar in quick succession, reducing Rajasthan to 209/4 by the 36th over.
From there, Rajasthan’s innings unraveled as they lost their last nine wickets for just 83 runs in 16.1 overs. Varun capped his performance with the scalps of Ajay Singh and Khaleel Ahmed to complete his five-wicket haul.
This performance comes on the heels of former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar‘s praise for Chakaravarthy’s “mystery element,” which Bangar highlighted as an edge over Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi for India’s upcoming T20I series against England. “Amongst all three, it is Varun who has probably stood out because he brings that mystery element to him,” Bangar remarked on Star Sports on Wednesday.
Chakaravarthy, who made a comeback to the Indian team in October 2024 after a three-year hiatus, has played seven T20Is in 2024 and continues to push his case for consistent selection with stellar domestic performances.
