November 14, 2024: In the third T20I of the series against South Africa, Varun Chakravarthy achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the player with the most wickets in a single bilateral T20I series for India.
The 33-year-old leg-spinner claimed two wickets in his four-over spell, although he gave away 54 runs, resulting in an economy rate of 13.5. Chakravarthy dismissed South Africa’s opener Reeza Hendricks and captain Aiden Markram during the match.
With these two wickets, Chakravarthy now has 10 wickets in the series, surpassing the previous record holders: Ravichandran Ashwin (9 wickets against Sri Lanka in 2016) and Ravi Bishnoi (9 wickets against Australia in 2023). With one match still remaining in Johannesburg, Chakravarthy has set a new benchmark for wicket-taking in a T20I series for India.
His performance has been crucial for India, showcasing his ability to make key breakthroughs in the shortest format, and it will be interesting to see how he finishes the series in the final match.