Varun Chakravarthy and India crooned a redemption song on Sunday in Dubai, driving out the specters of the T20 World Cup 2021 by employing spin to tear New Zealand apart in their Group A encounter of the Champions Trophy 2025.

It was a battle between different styles, but India's four-spinner battalion overpowered New Zealand's pace-dominated style on a slow-wicket strip at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

India scored 249 runs in total, of which 124 came against New Zealand's spinners during 25 overs for losing only two wickets. They then defended the par score, courtesy of an awe-inspiring vice-like grip by their spinners. Prompted into the Champions Trophy team at the eleventh hour and given a spot in the XI for India's third Group A match, Varun Chakravarthy played a masterclass of spin bowling. The BlackCaps had no response to his magic, as he grabbed his first five-wicket haul in one-day internationals, rising to the occasion for India at the right time.

TAKE A BOW, VARUN CHAKRAVARTHY. 🙇

He's playing first Match in this Champions Trophy and he picked 5 wicket haul, his bowling figure (42/5) against New Zealand - What a Bowler. pic.twitter.com/eTK02eL5yk

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) March 2, 2025

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Varun Chakravarthy, who was an architect by profession before venturing into the cricketing arena, was wicketless in three matches played during the 2021 T20 World Cup, after which he was inactive for three years. But ever since he joined the senior national team in 2024, there has been no looking back for him.

Having picked up 31 wickets in 12 games in his second phase of T20I cricket, starting in 2024, Varun was added to India's Champions Trophy team. His head coach Gautam Gambhir, who had seen him perform firsthand at Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, was instrumental in his surprise call-up for the big tournament -- one that was a masterstroke on the grand stage.

Varun was given his ODI debut in a series against England in February but sat on the bench for India's Group A encounters against Bangladesh and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.