Vindication for Varun in Dubai

Mystery spinner takes five-fer as India defeat Kiwis to set up semifinal clash against Oz

- GOMESH S @ Chennai

VARUN Chakravarthy will remember what happened on November 5, 2021 at the Dubai International Stadium. Fast-tracked into the Indian team, Varun had played all three matches in the 2021 T20 World Cup, but as they faced an early exit, the spinner was also dropped from the set-up.

About 1,213 days on, Varun was back at the same venue, playing in an ICC event for India. This time, however, he was not the villain. Instead, Varun rose to the occasion and became the hero, taking a five-wicket haul—his first in the format—as India beat New Zealand by 45 runs to finish on top of Group A. They will play Australia in the first semifinal at the same venue on Tuesday.

While it might seem like a straightforward comeback story, there is more to it. In fact, Varun was not even in the preliminary Champions Trophy squad India had named in January.