The pre-quarter final stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy commenced with two stellar fixtures today. While Haryana faced a determined Bengal side in the 1st preliminary quarter-final, Rajasthan were up against Tamil Nadu in the second match. Amidst raining runs in both the matches, a standout performance came from the spin sensation Varun Chakaravarthy who has impressed once again as he clinched 5 wickets for his domestic side, Tamil Nadu and saved the day for the team’s bowling unit.
Varun Chakaravarthy keeps Tamil Nadu’s hopes alive
Varun had a remarkable domestic season with the ball so far. The 33-year-old has bagged 13 wickets for his side till now. Adding another feather in his cap is a 5-wicket haul in the domestic season which makes him a standout performer for his squad in the pre-quarter final fixture.
Notably, Rajasthan skipper Mahipal Lomror and star batter Deepak Hooda were the first ones who could not bear the remarkable bowling spell from Varun and were bowled out scoring 60 and 7 runs respectively. Varun then dismissed a dangerous looking Abhijeet Tomar who had scored an emphatic century to give a solid start to Rajasthan. However, a loose shot from the opening batter proved detrimental to his innings.
Kukna Ajay Singh was next in-line who gave a simple catch to Indrajith in the slips and returned back to the pavilion scoring just 2 runs for his side. Tailender Khaleel Ahmed was the final dismissal of the off-spin maestro for the day. This was his first 5-wicket haul in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. A stunning performance from Varun stopped the run flow for Rajasthan as they were bowled out by Tamil Nadu in 47.3 overs with a 267 runs on the board. The leg-spinner has featured in 13 T20I matches for India and has taken 19 wickets for the national side.
Also Read: Twitter reactions: Abhijeet Tomar smashes a counter-attacking century against Tamil Nadu in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25
Here’s the video
Spinning a web 🕸️
Varun Chakaravarthy led Tamil Nadu’s bowling charge with a fantastic 5⃣-wicket haul against Rajasthan 🔥
Watch 📽️ all his wickets 🔽#VijayHazareTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/pSVoNE63b2 pic.twitter.com/Lw3Jgrw0ar
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 9, 2025
Varun aims for a place in the Champions Trophy 2025
Vijay Hazare Trophy can just be the right platform for Varun to impress the selectors and get an opportunity to debut for India in the ODI format and be a part of the Indian in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. India is set to play all its matches in the UAE and a lethal spin option can prove beneficial for the team considering the fact that historically, pitch in Dubai has been favourable for spin bowling.
Additionally, Varun will also look forward to proving his abilities in the upcoming T20I and ODI series against England on home soil. With Kuldeep Yadav injured, India is looking for a stable spin alternative in white-ball cricket. Varun has played 22 List-A matches in his career so far and also a constant starter for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Also Read: Karun Nair breaks a 13-year-old List A record in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25
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