Dubai : India’s 44-run victory over New Zealand in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy was powered by an outstanding five-wicket haul from mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy and a gritty knock from Shreyas Iyer, earning praise from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
While Chakravarthy’s match-winning spell of 5 for 42 grabbed the headlines, Tendulkar also highlighted the importance of Iyer’s crucial 79-run innings, which rescued India from a top-order collapse and set up a competitive total of 249/9.
Varun Chakravarthy’s Dream Performance
Playing his first match of the tournament, Varun Chakravarthy completely derailed New Zealand’s chase, leading India's spin attack that claimed nine of the ten Kiwi wickets. His spell marked:
- The second-best bowling figure by an Indian in Champions Trophy history.
- The second-best figures on debut in an ICC tournament.
- The quickest five-wicket haul by an Indian bowler in ODIs, surpassing Stuart Binny’s 6/4 against Bangladesh in 2014.
After the match, Chakravarthy admitted that he felt nervous initially, but guidance from senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and Hardik Pandya helped him settle in.
"First of all, I felt nervous in the initial stages. I have not played many matches for India in the ODI format, but as the game went on, I felt better. Virat, Rohit, Shreyas, and Hardik were talking to me, and that helped," Chakravarthy said.
Sachin Tendulkar’s Special Mention for Shreyas Iyer
While Varun’s heroics stood out, Tendulkar made sure to recognize Shreyas Iyer’s pivotal innings, which helped India recover from 30/3.
"Shreyas Iyer played an important innings, and Varun Chakravarthy's spell made sure India stayed ahead. A good team win!" Tendulkar posted on social media.
Iyer’s innings, which included a 98-run stand with Axar Patel (42), was crucial in ensuring India had a defendable total.
India’s Spin Domination Seals the Win
Chasing 250, New Zealand appeared to be in contention, especially with Kane Williamson’s classy 81, but India’s spinners choked the scoring in the middle overs on the slow Dubai pitch.
Varun Chakravarthy’s mystery spin left Kiwi batters struggling, while Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav provided key breakthroughs, ensuring India maintained control.
With this victory, India topped Group A and will now face Australia in the semi-finals of the tournament.
What’s Next for Team India?
With momentum on their side, India now shifts focus to their semi-final clash against Australia, where they will look to continue their dominant run under Rohit Sharma’s leadership.
