Aakash Chopra lauds Chakravarthy's match-winning three-fer against England
What's the story
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra has praised Varun Chakravarthy for his phenomenal performance in India's opening T20I against England at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.
Chakravarthy's brilliant spell, where he took three wickets and restricted England to 132/10, played a key role in India's seven-wicket win.
Chopra emphasized that since his return to the national team last year, Chakravarthy has been entrusted with bowling during the powerplay overs.
Unique approach
Chakravarthy's unique bowling style impresses Chopra
Chopra also praised Chakravarthy's unique way of bowling.
He bowls slowly through the air, which forces batters to generate all their power in their strokes, often leading to their downfall.
"The thing I am liking the most is that he is bowling slow in the air. He is happy to just flight the ball," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Style comparison
Chopra compares Chakravarthy's style with Rashid Khan
Further, Chopra compared Chakravarthy's style to that of Rashid Khan, highlighting how different they are.
"Pace is a huge marker in my opinion, because nowadays, spinners become fast as soon as they get hit and fast bowlers become slow. If a spinner bowls with confidence, he goes slow," he explained.
Unlike Khan who bowls quickly, Chakravarthy stays slower even when hit for six.
Comeback journey
Chakravarthy's comeback and performance in South Africa
Chakravarthy made his international comeback last year in a series against Bangladesh, where he took five wickets from three matches.
His best performance till date came during India's tour of South Africa, where he was the leading wicket-taker.
In four games against the Proteas, Chakravarthy claimed 12 wickets at an economy rate of 8.62, further solidifying his position in the national team.
Numbers
Leg-spinner's T20I career numbers in brief
The leggie has played a total of 14 T20Is for India while picking up 22 scalps.
He also owns an average of 16.63 while boasting an economy rate of 6.71.
Additionally, he has managed one five-wicket haul against South Africa, and his best bowling figure reads 5/17.
Notably, 14 of Chakravarthy's 22 wickets have come in away games with 12 of them against the Proteas.