"This version of Chakravarthy is way superior to his 2021 self" - Fans react to mystery spinner's spell in IND vs ENG 1st T20I 

Team India mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy continued to impress with a major impact in the first T20I against England at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday, January 22. The right-arm bowler dominated the middle overs to cripple the visiting batters and end with imposing figures of 3-23 in the first innings.

India opted to bowl first and Chakravarthy was the first of the three spinners to be introduced to the attack. Bowling the final over of the powerplay, he conceded seven runs off his first over.

It was the second over of his spell that changed the course of the innings. He castled both Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone in the space of a handful of deliveries to reduce England to 65-4 in the eighth over. The mystery spinner's third over resulted in only five overs as Jacob Bethell escaped a close stumping call.

The visiting batters struggled to read Chakravarthy's variations, while the bowler's accuracy, when it came to his trademark stump-to-stump line, reaped rewards. He wrapped up his spell with the prized wicket of Jos Buttler in the 17th over of the innings.

Here are some reactions from fans on X to the spinner's spell:

"This Varun Chakravarthy rise back to stardom is absolutely brilliant to watch," one fan posted

"This version of Chakravarthy is way superior to his 2021 self that India first picked," another fan tweeted

"England clearly are not able to read Varun Chakravarthy here," another tweet read

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Varun Chakravarthy has picked up 20 wickets in 8 matches since his comeback

After a forgettable maiden campaign in the 2021 T20 World Cup, Chakravarthy returned to the team during Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav's regime. He has dominated proceedings from the word go, being among the wickets in the series wins over Bangladesh and South Africa. Chakravarthy recorded a five-wicket haul in the second T20I against the Proteas.

With his current form and performances, he is slowly becoming India's spearhead in the spin department. He's made the most of his previous experience at the Eden Gardens during his time with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to make a strong start to the series.