Varun Chakaravarthy was in sizzling form in the first T20I against New Zealand, taking wickets as India won by 48 runs in Nagpur. The spinner took the crucial wickets of opener Tim Robinson (21) and Mark Chapman (39), and has been hailed by India legend Sunil Gavaskar.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Gavaskar praised the KKR bowler’s impact in the match. “Varun looked a little rusty, but that’s understandable. He picked up two wickets and the economy rate, when the batters are going hell-bent for leather, was pretty decent as well. The important thing is that his body language was good. Often, you know, his body language, sometimes when he’s taken for a few runs, can be a little bit down. That didn’t happen,” he said.
‘He’s a magician, make no mistake’
“He (Varun) was walking back to the mark, upright, wasn’t looking fazed by the fact that he’d been hit for a couple of sixes, and that’s always a very good sign. He’s a magician, make no mistake. He bowls brilliantly. So yes, in this format or even in the 50-over format, which will be expensive, he just has to believe, ‘Yes, next over I’m going to get my two wickets,’ and that’s what he does,” he added.
Defending a target of 239 runs, India restricted New Zealand to 190/7 in 20 overs, and even all-rounder Shivam Dube took two wickets. Meanwhile, Glenn Phillips smacked 78 off 40 balls for the visitors. On the other hand, Abhishek Sharma’s 34-ball 84 saw India post 238/7 in 20 overs.
Apart from Abhishek, Rinku Singh, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya also made useful contributions with the bat. Rinku smacked an unbeaten knock of 44* off 20 balls. Meanwhile, Suryakumar got 32 off 22 balls and Hardik clattered 25 off 16 deliveries.