India, March 3 -- Varun Chakaravarthy's inclusion in the Indian playing XI on Sunday proved to be game-changer in their final Group A fixture against New Zealand. The 33-year-old made his first appearance in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025, and was simply unplayable as he returned with figures of 5/42 in 10 overs.

Chakaravarthy's performance also gives India skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir a selection headache for the semi-finals. Considering his Man of the Match display, he looks undropable for the upcoming semi-final against Australia.

The KKR star's performance sent fans and former players into a state of frenzy, as people took to social media to hail the spinner. India legend Mohammad Kaif joined the bandwagon a...