Published 23:01 IST, October 24th 2020
'Enjoyed Shreyas Iyer's wicket most': Varun Chakravarthy delighted post five-for vs Delhi
Continuing his dream run in the IPL 2020, Varun Chakravarthy bowled an enthralling spell against Delhi on Saturday, helping Kolkata register a 59-run victory
Continuing his dream run in the IPL 2020, Varun Chakravarthy bowled an enthralling spell against top-tier Delhi on Saturday, helping Kolkata register a 59-run victory. The leg-spinner accounted for 5 Delhi batsmen which included the likes of Rishabh Pant, skipper Shreyas Iyer, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, and Axar Patel. However, Chakravarthy remarked that he 'enjoyed' the prized wicket of Shreyas Iyer most as he dismissed the Delhi skipper while he was at 47 and looked to take his team over the line. The spinner also greeted Iyer with a 'namaste' after dismissing him with the help of Nagarkoti's catch at long-on.
"This is a surreal moment for me because I didn't get wickets in the last few games, I wanted to get one or two wickets today, but I ended up with five. I enjoyed Shreyas Iyer's wicket the most. I was told I would be bowling from the shorter end, so I had to attack the stumps," said Chakravarthy after winning the Man of the Match award.
"I pretty much started my spin bowling in 2018, that's when I got my breakthrough in TNPL, it's been high and lows - last year, I didn't get many chances and I injured myself, I'm grateful for making a comeback this year. I have been working hard, but the motivation and faith has come from a lot of people around me," he added.
'Varun is a humble guy'
While a loss won't hurt Delhi's chances of qualifying for the playoffs, on the other hand, Kolkata would get a boost in the run to seal the fourth spot with several teams eyeing it. Skipper Eoin Morgan was also delighted with the empathic win which shoots up their Net Run Rate and would prove to be an advantage if it comes to play.
"It is a compact, high intensity tournament and it is easy to get carried away. Sunil Narine coming in and boosting the all-round game has certainly helped. Nitish Rana was superb in helping us to set up the tall score. Not it is all the coach. He likes to play his cards. Full credit to Brendon McCullum," Morgan said at the post-match presentation.
"Varun is such a humble guy. He is someone who works really hard. Of course he has had limited opportunities for various reasons. Today he performed really and collectively in the tournament, he has been superb for us. You want everyone to be authentic and perform to the best of your capabilities," the Kolkata skipper added.
Updated 23:01 IST, October 24th 2020