Varun Chakaravarthy knows how to tame his opponents and make headlines. The right-arm mystery spinner produced a stunning match-winning performance against New Zealand in India’s last league match in Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai, helping them stay at the top of Group A. He picked his maiden five-wicket haul (5/42) in the second innings, breaking several records and becoming the Indian with the best bowling figures on Champions Trophy debut.

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Before Varun, ace seamer Mohammed Shami picked a five-for on his Champions Trophy debut against Bangladesh, attaining figures of (5/53). Varun’s numbers, however, surpassed Shami on the list of Indian bowlers with the best bowling figures in this competition’s first game. His performance was crucial to the game’s result, where India won by 44 runs, maintaining their ODI winning streak this year.

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However, his spell remains the second-best bowling figure by an Indian bowler in Champions Trophy history, with Ravindra Jadeja’s five for 26 against the West Indies in 2013 topping the chart. 

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Varun’s 5/42 is also the second-best Champions Trophy debut figure, with Australia’s Josh Hazlewood’s 6/52 against the Kiwis (Edgbaston, 2017) being the best. 

In another milestone, Varun became the quickest Indian to an ODI five-for, achieving this in only his second One-Dayer, while former all-rounder Stuart Binny’s (6/4) against Bangladesh was the previous best, which came in his fourth ODI. 

Besides, this game also made history as, for the first time in this tournament, two bowlers bagged identical figures (5/42), with Varun and New Zealand’s Matt Henry being the ones.

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'Seniors helped me'

Playing only his second One-Dayer, Varun admitted he was nervous at the start, but when the seniors approached him and started talking to him, it helped him calm down and take on the game. 

“First of all, I did feel 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. (On when he knew he was playing) I found out last night. 

“I was definitely expecting to play for the country, but on the other hand, I was nervous. It was not a rank turner, but if you bowled in the right places, it offered assistance. The way Kuldeep, Jaddu, and Axar bowled, even the pace bowlers, it was a total team effort,” Varun said after winning the Player of the Match award. 

(With inputs from agencies)