India vs New Zealand: Varun Chakravarthy identified as the biggest threat for the Kiwis

A late addition to the India squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, Varun Chakravarthy has worked wonders to emerge as the key match-winner for the Men in Blue at the marquee tournament. The spinner had to wait before he entered the Indian Playing XI in the Champions Trophy. But once he did, the mystery spinner didn't take any time in positioning himself as a crucial addition to the combination. The India vs New Zealand group stage fixture marked Chakravarthy's Champions Trophy debut. To make it a memorable one, the bowler scalped a fifer against the Kiwis. Now, as the same fixture is slated to form the Champions Trophy final, the Kiwis have identified Chakravarthy as a major threat to their title-winning aspirations.

The tale of Varun Chakravarthy at the ICC Champions Trophy is an endearing one. Four years back, Dubai became the burial ground of Chakravarthy's time with Team India after a dismal run at the 2021 T20 World Cup. However, earning his rank back in the team through the India vs England white-ball series, Chakravarthy marked Dubai as the stage to announce his abilities. On his Champions Trophy debut, Chakravarthy made sure that New Zealand didn't gauge 250 as an easily chaseable target. While the Indian batters were left rattled by the five-wicket spell of Matt Henry, Chakravarthy replicated the figures for India in the chase.

Moreover, the spinner earned a justifiable place in the combination for the India vs Australia semi-final. The mystery spinner once again proved elemental as he dismissed Travis Head in the opening innings before the opener threatened a mighty stand against the Men in Blue. Now, as India sits in the final, poised to face the Kiwis in yet another ICC final encounter, Chakravarthy has claimed a considerable space in their plans to counter the Men in Blue. New Zealand head coach Gary Stead expressed that the team is planning their best to tackle Varun Chakravarthy in the final.

"So, look, we certainly expect him to play after getting 5 for 42 against us in the last game. And yeah, we'll be planning our, I guess, intentions around that as well," Gary Stead said. "There's no doubt he's a class bowler. He obviously showed his skills against us last time, and he's a big, big threat in the game. So, we'll be putting our thinking caps on how we nullify that and how we can still score runs against him," the Kiwi coach added.