IND vs ENG 3rd T20I: Varun Chakravarthy's 5-fer breaks Kuldeep Yadav¡¯s record, but India falls to England
While the Men in Blue may have lost the game, Varun Chakravarthy's spell was the highlight, as the leg-spinner grabbed five wickets. He helped India restrict England to 176 after claiming an impressive haul of 5 for 24 in four overs.
India won the first two T20Is of the 5-match series while chasing, but they failed to get over the line in the third match against England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Tuesday, January 28. The English side ensured discipline with the ball as they secured a 26-run victory, keeping the series alive.
While the Men in Blue may have lost the game, Varun Chakravarthy's spell was the highlight, as the leg-spinner grabbed five wickets. He helped India restrict England to 176 after claiming an impressive haul of 5 for 24 in four overs.
Varun Chakravarthy breaks Kuldeep Yadav's record
The Indian spinner dismissed opener Jos Buttler before sending Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, and Jofra Archer back to the pavilion, completely derailing England's innings, which collapsed from 83/1 to 127/8. In the process, he broke Kuldeep Yadav's record for the most wickets by an Indian spinner in a 10-match stretch of T20Is.
Chakravarthy overtook Kuldeep Yadav (25 wickets) for the most wickets by an Indian spinner in a 10-match T20I stretch. Among international bowlers, Chakravarthy stands third, behind Malaysia's Syazrul Idrus (28 wickets) and Afghanistan's premier spinner Rashid Khan (30 wickets).
He also became the first bowler in T20 Internationals to take five-fers in two defeats.
5?-wicket haul for Varun Chakaravarthy! ? ?
¡ª BCCI (@BCCI) January 28, 2025
His 2?nd in T20Is ? ?
He has been on an absolute roll ? ?
Updates ?? https://t.co/amaTrbtzzJ#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/j1Jd8k1jdj
Since his return to T20Is last year, the spinner has played 10 matches, taking 27 wickets at an average of 10.96, with an economy rate of 7.40 and best bowling figures of 5/17. Overall, in 16 T20I games, he has an impressive tally of 29 wickets at an average of 14.65, with an economy rate of 6.84.
Varun Chakravarthy wins Man of the Match
He expressed his satisfaction with his current bowling form when he received the Man of the Match award. "Sad that we didn't make it in this match, but that's the nature of the game¡ªyou have to move on. Of course, when you're playing for the country, you have to take some accountability. I was able to do it to a certain extent and hope to keep improving," Chakravarthy said.
Not the result #TeamIndia were looking for in Rajkot, but Varun Chakaravarthy put on a solid show with the ball to bag the Player of the Match award!
¡ª BCCI (@BCCI) January 28, 2025
Scorecard ?? https://t.co/amaTrbtzzJ#INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/D6dKptsI7M
"I've been working on a flipper, and it's coming out well. Maybe this is the best I've bowled on this stage, but I can definitely get better," he added.
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Karen Noronha is a versatile journalist with a passion for sports and K-pop. With over 7 years of experience at publications like IBTimes UK, DNA, and OTTPlay/DesiMartini, she seamlessly transitions between covering global athletic events and the dynamic world of K-pop.
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