Varun Chakraborty joins the elite list with Kuldeep Yadav

During the second Twenty20 International between the two sides on Sunday, November 10, at St. George’s Park in Gqeberha, star Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy was on fire against South Africa. In his allotted four overs, the 33-year-old spinner claimed five wickets for 17 runs. However, his efforts were in futile as India lost the match by three wickets after failing to defend the 125-run goal.

Chakravarthy joined Kuldeep Yadav in the select group of Indian bowlers after claiming his first five-wicket haul in Twenty20 Internationals on Sunday. In a Twenty20 International match, Chakrvarthy became the third Indian cricketer to dismiss five South African batsmen. The first Indian to capture five wickets against South Africa was Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who hasn’t played for India in a Twenty20 International since November 2022. In the game played in Johannesburg on February 18, 2018, he accomplished the mark by claiming five wickets for 24 runs.

When Kuldeep dismissed five South African batsmen for 17 runs in 2.5 overs on December 14, 2023, in Johannesburg, he tied Bhuvneshwar’s record.

Top bowling stats for SA vs. India in T20Is

• Kuldeep Yadav, Johannesburg, 2023, 5/17 in 2.5 overs

• Varun Chakravarthy’s 5/17 in 4 overs at Gqeberha, 2024

• In Johannesburg in 2018, Bhuvneshwar Kumar scored 5/24 in 4 overs.

• In Durban in 2007, RP Singh scored 4/13 in 4 overs.

• In Cuttack, 2022, Bhuvneshwar Kumar scored 4/13 in 4 overs.

Chakravarhty’s 5 for 17 numbers rank him as the second-best Indian spinner in the game’s shortest version. With his 2017 stats of 6 for 25 against England, Yuzvendra Chahal leads the list. Former Pakistani bowler Umar Gul has the record for best bowling stats in Twenty20 Internationals against South Africa. In March 2013, he dismissed five South African batsmen for a mere six runs in Centurion.

The greatest score for a bowler from a Full Member country that resulted in a T20I loss is Varun’s 5/17. The previous best record was held by Australia’s Matt Short and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman, who each took five wickets for 22 runs against England in Cardiff in 2024 and New Zealand in Kolkata in 2016.

In a match against the Men in Blue, Indian bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (against South Africa in Cuttack in 2022) and Ravi Bishnoi (against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2024) had the top bowling stats with 4/13 apiece.