The Indian cricket team has secured a commanding 44-run victory against New Zealand in their final group-stage match of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, sealing a spot in the semi-finals. The win came courtesy to Varun Chakravarthy’s match-winning five-wicket haul that helped India maintain their winning streak.
Making his debut in the tournament, Chakravarthy replaced Harshit Rana in India’s playing XI and delivered a sensational spell, finishing with figures of 5/42. His performance earned him the Player of the Match award and drew high praise from the former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu.
‘Varun was great today’ – Ambati Rayudu
Speaking on JioHotstar, Rayudu hailed India’s spin attack and lauded Chakravarthy’s remarkable impact.
“Varun was great today. Early in his career, he wasn’t very consistent with his lines and lengths. But now, his bowling makes him a very difficult bowler to face. His action naturally makes it look like he’s delivering left-arm spin, but 90% of his deliveries are googlies, making it tough for batsmen who haven’t faced him before. I don’t think many New Zealand batsmen have played against him much, and he will only continue to improve for India,” Rayudu stated.
Notably, with India set to face Australia in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy 2025, Chakravarthy’s stellar show has created a selection headache for the team management.
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“His impressive performance might have created a selection dilemma heading into the semi-finals. India will have a tough time deciding, with so many big players to choose from, but Varun Chakravarthy has been brilliant. We’ve seen his impact in India, and all the spinners were outstanding today—Jadeja was amazing, and all four spinners bowled exceptionally well. The pitch definitely assisted them, but New Zealand’s batsmen also struggled against spin, which is an area they will need to improve,” Rayudu added.
Ambati Rayudu Opines on Adam Zampa versus Virat Kohli matchup in IND vs AUS semifinal
Looking ahead to the highly anticipated semi-final clash, Rayudu pinpointed a key battle that could influence the outcome.
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He discussed that it’s going to be Adam Zampa versus Virat Kohli, since he has struggled a bit against leg-spinners lately. However, as per Rayudu, the kind of form he has shown in this tournament will serve him well against Australia.
India will now prepare for the high-stakes encounter against Australia on March 4, hoping to continue their dominant run in the tournament and reaching the finals.
