Varun Chakravarthy goes past Kuldeep Yadav's astonishing record for India

Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy etched his name in the record books after the third T20I against England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Tuesday, January 28. Varun Chakravarthy surpassed Kuldeep Yadav's record for the most wickets by an Indian bowler in a 10-match T20I span in men's cricket.

England defeated India by 26 runs in the third T20I, preventing the hosts from sealing the series. Varun Chakravarthy maintained his outstanding form, delivering a brilliant performance with the ball. The spinner dismantled England’s batting lineup, taking five wickets for just 24 runs in his four-over spell.

Varun Chakravarthy Breaks Kuldeep Yadav's Record in T20I Cricket

Chakravarthy was first selected for India’s T20I squad four years ago but was sidelined after just six matches, including three in the 2021 T20 World Cup. He had only two wickets at an average of 66 and an impressive economy of 5.86.

The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer made his international comeback in October. Since then, he has been in outstanding form, taking 27 wickets in 10 T20Is at an average of 10.96 and an economy of 7.4. Overall, he has taken 29 wickets in 16 matches, with a bowling average of 14.75 and an economy rate of 6.84.

Varun has taken two five-wicket hauls in T20Is, a feat matched only by Kuldeep Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar among Indian bowlers. His tally of 27 wickets in 10 games is now the highest by an Indian in a 10-match T20I span, surpassing Kuldeep’s 25. He is third on the list behind Rashid Khan and Syazrul Idrus.

Bowlers with 25+ wickets in a 10-T20Is stretch in men's cricket

A Second Five-Wicket Haul Is Crazy in T20 Cricket - Sanjay Manjrekar

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar lauded Varun Chakravarthy for his fearless bowling approach after his five-wicket haul. Manjrekar highlighted Chakravarthy’s tendency to pitch the ball up and challenge batters.

“It’s happening very often and a second five-wicket haul is crazy in T20 cricket. And I have talked about the reason for it. He pitches the ball up and was not afraid to do it today (Tuesday) as well. He bowled one up to Jamie Smith, who tonked him for a six and then he bowled a little shorter, but he’s always up there, challenging the batters to go at him,” Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.

“As they say fortune favors the brave, he’s willing to take that risk and that’s how he gets his wickets. The ball never sort of just pitches and goes straight on. There is always some fikri when the ball is released. He’s a hard man to get away,” Manjrekar added.

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