Champions Trophy: Chakaravarthy Focused on Stump Line to Capitalize on Batting Errors
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Synopsis
In the 2025 Champions Trophy final, Varun Chakravarthy expressed his strategy of maintaining a stump-to-stump line due to minimal pitch turn. He played a pivotal role in India's bowling attack, securing key wickets against New Zealand and reflecting on his experience and challenges during the match.
Key Takeaways
- Chakravarthy focused on stump-to-stump bowling.
- He took 2 wickets for 45 runs.
- New Zealand set a target of 252 runs.
- Chakravarthy enjoys bowling during powerplay and death overs.
- He experienced a foot injury but remained committed to the game.
Dubai, March 9 (NationPress) India’s wrist-spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who achieved figures of 2-45 in the 2025 Champions Trophy final against New Zealand, stated that his strategy was to adhere to the stump-to-stump line, as it was the pitch where the ball exhibited the least turn across the three matches he played in the tournament.
On a sluggish Dubai pitch with only about two degrees of turn for spinners, Chakravarthy secured India’s initial breakthrough by trapping Will Young lbw with a leg-break, followed by bowling out Glenn Phillips with a googly. Ultimately, New Zealand posted a total of 251/7 in their 50 overs, setting India a target of 252 to clinch the trophy.
“This pitch was better compared to the last one. It wasn’t turning much. I was focused on maintaining my line and waiting for the batter to make an error,” Chakravarthy shared in a mid-innings conversation with broadcasters.
Chakravarthy was part of a formidable Indian spin quartet, claiming five wickets while giving away 144 runs over 38 overs, whereas the fast bowlers conceded 104 runs in 12 overs with only one wicket to show.
“I enjoy bowling during the death and powerplay phases. It’s challenging and offers me greater chances to take wickets. I like discussing strategies with Kuldeep, Jaddu bhai, and Axar. Being relatively new to the setup, I’m keen on developing closer relationships,” he added.
Towards the end of his spell, Chakravarthy sustained a blow to his right foot while attempting to field a straight drive from Daryl Mitchell off his own bowling. Despite completing his ten overs, he was observed limping noticeably.
He concluded by mentioning that his foot was still aching from the impact with Mitchell’s bat. “The foot is a bit sore; I’ll need more painkillers. However, it’s a reachable score if we start our batting well,” he remarked.
