India's Varun Chakravarthy (R) celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of New Zealand's captain Mitchell Santner during the ICC Champions Trophy one-day international (ODI) cricket match between New Zealand and India at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on March 2, 2025. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
Dubai: Spinner Varun Chakravarthy on Sunday became a "good headache" for India ahead of their Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia after his match-winning five-wicket haul against New Zealand, said captain Rohit Sharma.
Mystery spinner Chakravarthy returned figures of 5-42 in Dubai to help India beat New Zealand in their last group match of the 50-over tournament.
His recent 14 wickets in a 4-1 T20 series win over England at home got Chakravarthy back into the India reckoning in the white-ball formats and he was a last-minute addition to the Champions Trophy squad.
After being left out for the first two games, Chakravarthy made the team in India's last group match and was named player of the match in just his second ODI after his debut against England last month.
India face Australia in the first semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday.
"Varun has got something different, wanted to try and see what he had to offer," said Rohit. "We got to think a little about what to do for the next game, good headache."
Chakravarthy went wicketless in three matches in Dubai during the 2021 T20 World Cup, but put that disappointment behind him in style.
"The first spell of mine I was little nervous because the previous things, the emotions and all were playing whatever happened in the last three years before in this ground," the 33-year-old Chakravarthy told reporters.
"Where little bit it was playing with me and I was trying to keep it down, control it. But Virat (Kohli), Rohit (Sharma) and even Hardik (Pandya), they were telling (me to) calm down. That really helped."
Chakravarthy made his mark in the Indian Premier League for Kolkata Knight Riders, playing a key part in the team's title win last year.
A wily bowler with lot of variations up his sleeve, Chakravarthy gets the ball to spin both ways.
He also varies his pace to make life difficult for the opposition, a trait with which he bamboozled the New Zealand batsmen including Will Young, who he bowled for 22.
