Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli heaped praises on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner Varun Chakravarthy after his impressive bowling performance at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Chakravarthy proved his mettle and dominated the proceedings to help KKR bundle out the Challengers for a mere score of 92 runs in 19 overs. The right-armer bagged a three-wicket haul for just 13 runs in his quota of 4 overs. He got the prized scalps of Glenn Maxwell (10), Sachin Baby (7) and Wanindu Hasaranga (0).
KKR easily chased down the target in 10 overs with nine wickets in hand. After the match, Kohli showered praise on Chakravarthy and said he would be a key factor for Team India in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021.
“Pretty good, that’s exactly what I was saying in the dug-out, he’s going to be a key factor when he plays for India,” said Kohli at the post-match presentation.
Notably, Chakravarthy was recently named in India’s 15-member squad for the global showpiece event. Kohli, who will quit T20I captaincy after the multi-team tournament, further asserted that the KKR spinner would play for India in the near future, which is a great sign and shows the bench strength of Indian cricket.
“We need to see performances like these from all the youngsters so that the bench strength of Indian cricket stays strong. And, he’s someone who is going to play in the near future for India, and it’s a great sign,” added Kohli.
Chakravarthy was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his scintillating performance. The 30-year-old also reacted to the selection in the Indian squad, stating that he started his career a bit late, but now the feeling of playing for India soon gives him a sense of acceptance.
“When I have the ball in my hand, I try to assess the pitch. It was flat, credit to the bowlers for bowling well in the PP. I like to set it up for the bowlers who come on after me. There wasn’t much spin on offer, so I had to keep my line on the stumps only. Playing for India has made me feel better, I have a sense of acceptance from people around me because I started at 26,” said Chakravarthy.
