Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Dinesh Karthik heaped praise on Varun Chakravarthy for overcoming nerves and self-doubt in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Sunday.
The Men in Blue registered a four-wicket win to claim their third Champions Trophy title. India was able to restrict New Zealand to 251 after Mitchell Santner won the toss.
Varun Chakravarthy played a key role in the bowling innings, returning with figures of 2-45 in his quota of 10 overs. The mystery spinner accounted for Will Young and Glenn Phillips in his fine spell.
Chakravarthy bagged nine wickets in three matches of the eight-team tournament at an impressive average of 15.17. Meanwhile, Chakravarthy didn’t have a great run in the 2021 T20 World Cup, which was also played in the UAE and thus he must have lost confidence in his abilities but he bounced back strongly in the domestic circuit and IPL 2024 for KKR.
“For me, knowing the person, it was about whether he could handle the pressure. I used to get a call every day before the game the previous night, and he would ask me ‘what do you think I should do’, and I used to say everything is okay. And that is not asking me for an answer, that is just reassuring me that I know what I am doing, but I just feel good talking to you,” Karthik told Sky Sports Cricket after India’s 2025 Champions Trophy triumph.
“He’s that kind of a personality, he is a bit of an introvert, always doubts himself a bit, but once he is in the park, he goes out there, and he delivers. He knows the three balls that he needs to bowl, he is clever, he is an architect, he has been an engineer, he has done everything. So, at the base of it all, he is a clever man who knows how to use his variations in the right manner,” he added.
On the other hand, Chakravarthy was added to India’s Champions Trophy squad in place of Yashasvi Jaiswal. The 33-year-old said winning the Champions Trophy is a dream come true moment for him.
“It was a sudden inclusion, didn’t expect to turn up like this, dream come true. The first innings, the spin was less, we had to stick to the stumps, be disciplined,” Chakaravarthy said after India’s win over New Zealand in the 2025 Champions Trophy final.
Chakravarthy will be seen playing for KKR in IPL 2025.
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