Asia Cup 2025: Chakaravarthy Reveals India's Calm Confidence in Final Against Pakistan

ASIA CUP 2025

by Vijay Tagore • Last updated on

Varun Chakaravarthy was speaking at the CEAT Awards Ceremony © Cricbuzz

Varun Chakaravarthy said the Indian team remained confident of pulling things back even after Pakistan's strong start in the Asia Cup final last Sunday. Pakistan were cruising along at 113 for one in the 13th over before India turned things around, eventually limiting their total to a below-par 146 all out in 19.1 overs.

"So, that is how it is designed," Chakaravarthy explained on the side-lines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday. "If you saw the trend in the Asia Cup, the first eight overs all the batting teams got off to a flyer. After that, from the eighth over to the next seventeenth over, it was very tough to score runs. We knew that even if they scored lots of runs in the first eight overs, even if we get one or two wickets here and there, we can pull them back and that is what happened."

Chakaravarthy himself played a key role in stymieing the progress of Pakistan, claiming the first two wickets - of Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub. His dismissal of Ayub in the 13th over opened the floodgates. Kuldeep Yadav then ran through the Pakistan line-up, picking up three wickets in his fourth over as Pakistan's innings crumbled before the completion of 20 overs.

India struggled initially in their chase but eventually knocked off the target in the final over, with Tilak Varma smashing a vital six. Chakaravarthy revealed that there was no sense of panic in the dressing room and the team was always confident they would achieve the target.

"We knew it was in our hands. Because we had Tilak and Rinku (Singh). People have not seen Rinku that much on the international stage, but we all know what he can do in the franchise he has played. So, if Rinku and Tilak are there, I know that 10-11 (10 runs were required) runs in the last over is easy nowadays. In the IPL, people chase 20-25 runs," the India spinner opined. He claimed seven wickets in six matches but he was one of the most devastating bowlers of the tournament with his mystery deliveries.

Chakaravarthy, however, refused to be called a mystery bowler and insisted that his bowling is simple with three variations - off-spin, leg-break and the straighter one. "I have never called myself a mystery bowler. It's the media that has turned me. But, whatever it is, if you want to call me a mystery, it's fine. It's just that I have the ability to bowl all the deliveries with the same grip and same release point. That's what is making others find it tough to pick me," he said.

The KKR spinner from Tamil Nadu said he made adjustments to his bowling in international cricket. "When I got dropped from the team, I was bowling more of side spin, which was not working in the international stage on placid wickets. So, I had to resort to overspin, which gave me more bounce and turn. So, if I have overspin, the ball dips more. I have more dip in the ball."

Chakaravarthy was the joint highest wicket-taker for the Indian team in the Champions Trophy earlier this year with nine scalps. However, he has been left out of the ODI squad for the Australia series. The 33-year-old spinner said he understood the situation. "I expect to be in every team but it's up to the selectors. Maybe the pitchers there offer less of a chance. If you see in the Champions Trophy also I was brought in as a replacement for Yashasvi (Jaiswal) as well. So it just depends on the conditions."

All the CEAT award winners:

Domestic Cricketer of the Year: Harsh Dubey

Men's Test Batter of the Year: Harry Brook

Men's Test Bowler of the Year: Prabath Jayasuriya

Emerging Young player of the Year: Angkrish Raghuvanshi

Women's International Bowler of the Year: Deepti Sharma

Women's International Batter of the Year: Smriti Mandhana

Lifetime Achievement of the Year: BS Chandrasekhar

Men's ODI Bowler of the Year: Matt Henry

Men's ODI Batter of the Year: Kane Williamson

Memento for Highest Runs by Indian player in CT 2025: Shreyas Iyer

Men's T20I Batter of the Year: Sanju Samson