Varun Chakravarthy Became Fastest Indian To Pick Up Fifer In ODIs

Varun Chakravarthy, the oldest Indian in the post-independence era to play one-day cricket, became the fastest Indian to take a five-wicket haul in ODIs. He achieved this feat in his second ODI against New Zealand in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Stadium.

Batting first, India posted a challenging total of 249/9 in their allotted 50 overs, thanks to Shreyas Iyer’s 79 and Hardik Pandya’s 45 runs off 45 balls on a tricky slow surface. In reply, New Zealand was bowled out for just 205 runs as they struggled against the 33-year-old Chennai spinner. Varun Chakravarthy first bowled Will Young for 22 in the 12th over and then trapped all-rounders Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, and Mitchell Santner in front of the wicket between the 38th and 45th overs. He completed his five-wicket haul by getting Matt Henry caught by Virat Kohli at long-off in the 45th over, finishing with figures of 5/58.

Previously, Stuart Binny held the record for the quickest five-wicket haul for India, taking 6/4 in his third ODI in Mirpur in 2014. Varun was benched for the first two games in the Champions Trophy, but the management decided to play him against New Zealand, resting Harshit Rana. Chakravarthy showcased his exceptional skills on the spin-friendly wickets of Dubai.

Varun Chakravarthy’s remarkable performance underscores his capability to excel in the one day internationals.