It was a performance to remember for Varun Chakaravarthy, who furthered his chances of making it to the Champions Trophy squad. However, his efforts weren’t enough as Tamil Nadu faltered in their chase of 268 against Rajasthan, crashing out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Despite Varun’s second five-wicket haul in the tournament, Tamil Nadu’s inconsistent batting sealed their fate on Thursday.
Varun Chakaravarthy: A Bowler in Transition
With Kuldeep Yadav’s availability for the Champions Trophy in doubt, Varun’s recent performances have caught the selectors’ attention. After making a comeback to India’s T20 squad during the Bangladesh series, Varun has evolved as a bowler, shifting from being a “mystery spinner” to a more traditional type. His trademark carrom ball has been replaced with side-spin, helping him maximize assistance from flat pitches.
At the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, Varun displayed his growth as a bowler. Despite a rough start, where he conceded 38 runs in his first four overs, his second spell turned the game on its head. He removed Mahipal Lomror with a deceptive trajectory that hit the off-stump, followed by dismissing Deepak Hooda with a sharp, turning delivery. His dismissal of Abhijeet Tomar highlighted his mastery of side-spin, leveraging his height to create bounce and miscue big hits. Varun ended with figures of 5/52, restricting Rajasthan to 267 after they looked set for a 340-plus total.
Tamil Nadu’s Batting Falters in the Chase
Chasing a modest 268, Tamil Nadu began strongly with N Jagadeesan smashing six consecutive boundaries off Aman Shekhawat, bringing up the team’s 50 within six overs. However, their promising start unraveled with Khaleel Ahmed and Aniket Choudhary striking early blows. Jagadeesan, after a dominant 65, fell to a rash shot, and Baba Indrajith, despite being dropped early, couldn’t capitalize, falling for 46.
Tamil Nadu’s middle-order provided some hope as Vijay Shankar and Mohamed Ali stitched a 51-run partnership. However, a run-out ended Ali’s stay, and Sanjay Yadav’s quick dismissal left Vijay Shankar fighting a lone battle. His valiant 49 wasn’t enough, as Shekhawat cleaned him up with a delivery that kept low, leaving Tamil Nadu all out for 248.
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Haryana Outclasses Bengal in the Other Clash
In the other pre-quarterfinal at Moti Bagh Stadium, Haryana put up a clinical show to knock Bengal out of the tournament. Youngsters Nishant Sindhu and Parth Vats were the stars with the bat, adding 84 runs for the fourth wicket with scores of 64 and 62, respectively. Their efforts, combined with lower-order contributions, took Haryana to 298/9 despite a three-wicket haul from Mohammed Shami.
In reply, Bengal’s openers Abhishek Porel and Sudip Kumar Gharami gave a solid start with a 70-run partnership. However, the middle order crumbled under pressure, and Bengal fell short by 72 runs. Sindhu and Vats shone with the ball too, picking up two and three wickets, respectively, to ensure Haryana’s comprehensive victory.
Brief Scores
- Rajasthan: 267 in 47.3 overs (Abhijeet Tomar 111, Mahipal Lomror 60; Varun Chakaravarthy 5/52)
- Tamil Nadu: 248 in 47.1 overs (N Jagadeesan 65, Vijay Shankar 49; Aman Shekhawat 3/60)
- Haryana: 298/9 in 50 overs (Nishant Sindhu 64, Parth Vats 62; Mohammed Shami 3/53)
- Bengal: 226 in 45.2 overs (Abhishek Porel 40; Parth Vats 3/42, Nishant Sindhu 2/36)