Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar praised spinner Varun Chakravarthy and lauded India’s all-round performance after the Men in Blue registered a commanding victory in the first T20I of the five-match series against New Zealand in Nagpur. India began their final preparations for the Men’s T20 World Cup on a strong note, clinching a 48-run win at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium on Wednesday.
Batting first, India posted a massive 238/7 in 20 overs, powered by opener Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 84 off 35 balls. Captain Suryakumar Yadav, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, and Rinku Singh also chipped in with quick cameos to pile pressure on the visitors.
India struck early in the powerplay, dismissing New Zealand openers Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra. Middle-order batters Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman mounted a brief recovery, but India’s bowlers struck at crucial moments to derail the chase and seal a convincing win.
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Gavaskar praises Varun Chakravarthy and India’s all-round show in Nagpur win
Varun Chakravarthy returned figures of 2/37 in four overs. While he conceded runs, Gavaskar described his performance as encouraging, especially in a high-scoring game. Speaking on JioStar, Gavaskar said Chakravarthy looked “a little rusty” but stressed that his economy rate was understandable given the aggressive batting.
Gavaskar highlighted the spinner’s positive body language, noting that Chakravarthy remained confident despite being hit for a few sixes. He called him a “magician” and backed his ability to take wickets in both T20 and 50-over formats, urging him to continue believing in his skills.
The former opener also praised India’s overall display, calling the win a perfect start to the new campaign ahead of the World Cup. He said India batted brilliantly to reach 238 and followed it up with disciplined bowling, describing the performance as “very heartening” despite a few missed chances in the field.
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