India star all-rounder Axar Patel lavished praise on Varun Chakaravarthy after he picked up a fifer in his Champions Trophy debut clash against New Zealand at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. Chakaravarthy's fifer helped India to register a win against New Zealand in their last group-stage clash.
Chakaravarthy was added to India's Champions Trophy squad after his impressive performance against England in the white ball series before the tournament. This was Chakaravarthy's second outing in the ICC tournament taking place in Dubai. Earlier, he was a part of India's 2021 T20 World Cup squad where he had a forgetful outing that forced him out of the national side.
After the match, Axar Patel spoke to the reporters in the mixed zone hailing Varun Chakaravarthy and his mental readiness for big-ticket events after the T20 World Cup 2021 slump.
“Credit goes to him. The T20 WC (2021) was not a good experience for him. But after that, he has come back, and his mental skill shows how ready he is. I think he is carrying forward his performances in T20s to ODIs.”
The left-arm all-rounder also dissected why the spinner is a nightmare for batters, saying that he is difficult to read on the crease.
“It is very difficult to read from his hand. And the pace with which he bowls is very difficult. So, I think, if a batter misses (the line), there is a higher chance of getting out. He is fast in the air also.”
Team India are currently preparing for their Champions Trophy 2025 final clash against Australia which will take place on March 4 at the same venue.