Top 5 best bowling figures by an Indian in a losing cause in T20Is ft. Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy joined the rare club of bowlers to have won a Man of the Match award in a losing cause in T20Is on January 29. The spin bowler bagged five wickets in the third T20I of the five-match series between India and England played at the Niranjan Shah Stadium. However, India went on to lose the match.

A fantastic spell of 5/24 from Varun Chakravarthy helped India restrict England to 171/9 in their 20 overs. Chasing 172 for a win, India tried their best but the home side finished with 145/9, losing the match by 27 runs. Although India lost, Varun won the Man of the Match award for his bowling performance.

We look at the top five bowling figures by an Indian in a losing cause in T20I cricket history.

---

#5 Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 3/9 vs Pakistan, 2012

No Indian cricket fan can ever forget Bhuvneshwar Kumar's T20I debut against Pakistan. The Meerut-based pacer stunned the Men in Green with his impressive swing bowling at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Kumar bowled a dream spell of 3/9 on his T20I debut, dismissing Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal. His triple strike reduced Pakistan to 12/3 in a run-chase of 134. Pakistan eventually reached 134/5 in 19.4 overs, defeating India by five wickets.

---

#4 Ravi Bishnoi - 4/13 vs Zimbabwe, 2024

India suffered a shock 13-run defeat against Zimbabwe in the first match of their T20I series played last year. Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi bowled a brilliant spell of 4/13 in four overs, dismissing Wesley Madhvere, Brian Bennett, Luke Jongwe and Blessing Muzarabani.

Zimbabwe managed only 115/9 in their 20 overs. Surprisingly, India were bundled out for 102 in the second innings, losing the contest by 13 runs.

---

#3 Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 4/13 vs South Africa, 2022

India played an exciting five-match T20I series against South Africa immediately after IPL 2022. The five-match series ended in a 2-2 draw. The Proteas won the first two T20Is of the series.

In the second T20Is, India posted 148/6 in 20 overs in Cuttack. Chasing 149, South Africa lost three early wickets, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissing Reeza Hendricks, Dwaine Pretorius and Rassie van der Dussen.

Bhuvneshwar later came back to dismiss Wayne Parnell and ended with figures of 4/13. However, his efforts went in vain as South Africa reached 149/6 in 18.2 overs.

---

#2 Varun Chakravarthy - 5/24 vs England, 2025

Varun Chakravarthy's five-wicket haul from the third T20I against England features in the second spot on this list. The spinner bowled a magical spell, picking up the wickets of Jos Buttler, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer.

Chakravarthy conceded only 24 runs in his four overs. England still reached 171/9 in 20 overs. It was a difficult wicket for batting, which is why India could only manage 145/9 in their 20 overs.

---

#1 Varun Chakravarthy - 5/17 vs South Africa, 2024

Varun Chakravarthy has taken two five-wicket hauls for India so far, and unfortunately, both of them were in losing efforts. The first one came against South Africa on November 10, 2024, at the St. George's Park.

India managed only 124/6 in 20 overs. The conditions were not easy for batting. Varun Chakravarthy made life difficult for the home team by dismissing Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller.

Although South Africa slumped to 66/6 at one stage, they recovered and chased down the 125-run target with three wickets in hand.