Cricket

India and South Africa will face off in the third T20I of their four-match series on Sunday, November 13, with both teams eyeing a series lead. The match will be played at SuperSport Park in Centurion, South Africa, and will begin at 08:30 PM IST.India took an early lead in the series with a commanding 61-run victory in the first T20I. Sanju Samson was the star of the show, smashing a sensational century (107 off 50 balls) to power India to a massive total of 211/4. However, the second game saw a contrasting result as South Africa registered a narrow 3-wicket win.Despite a disappointing batting performance from India, which saw them post a below-par total of 124/6, leg-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy's five-wicket haul (5/17) kept them in the game. However, Tristan Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee guided South Africa to victory in a tense chase.The third T20I promises to be another thrilling encounter. India will be keen to bounce back from their defeat and take a commanding lead in the series, while South Africa will be determined to level the series and gain momentum.

Varun Chakaravarthy's journey back to the Indian cricket team is a testament to his dedication and perseverance. After being dropped from the squad, Chakaravarthy went back to the drawing board and made significant changes to his bowling technique."I had to go to the drawing board and check out all my videos," Chakaravarthy said. "I figured out that I was bowling side spin, and it was not working out in the higher levels. So, I had to change everything about my bowling, and it took me two years and I started bowling in the local leagues and IPL also. So, it worked there, and I have started bowling it on the international stage and it's working out for me," he said exclusively on JioCinema after India's three-wicket loss to South Africa in the second T20I.Chakaravarthy's overhaul of his bowling technique involved a complete change in his action. He now bowls with a more upright stance and a higher release point, which has given him more control and accuracy."I had to change my whole action," Chakaravarthy said. "I had to change my run-up, my release point, and my grip. It took me a lot of time and effort, but I'm glad I did it."Chakaravarthy's hard work has paid off. He has been one of India's most consistent bowlers in recent months, and he played a key role in India's victory in the recent T20I series against South Africa."It's a great feeling to be back in the Indian team," Chakaravarthy said. "I'm just trying to do my best and help the team win."

Varun Chakaravarthy, the enigmatic spinner, has shed light on his three-year hiatus from international cricket, describing it as a "tough" period. He credits his return to form to the domestic grind and the clarity of role provided by new head coach Gautam Gambhir.In the second T20I against South Africa, the 33-year-old achieved career-best figures of 5 for 17. However, India suffered a three-wicket defeat in a low-scoring thriller."Definitely, the last three years were a little tough," Chakaravarthy said. "The only thing I could do was play lots of cricket. And I started playing a lot of the domestic league (TNPL) in India. And that definitely helped me understand my game better. And that's what helped me."As a member of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Chakaravarthy won the IPL title last season under the leadership of Gambhir, who was then appointed head coach of the Indian team. Chakaravarthy said Gambhir gave him guidance during the Bangladesh tour, helping him regain form."Yes, we played the Bangladesh tour and he was coaching the team. And definitely we spoke a lot and he gave me a lot of role clarity. He told me, even if you go for 30-40 runs, it doesn't matter. All you have to look is to pick wickets. So that's your role in the team. And yeah, the clarity which they gave definitely helped me."Chakaravarthy's remarkable spell helped reduce South Africa to 66 for 6 while they pursued a modest target of 125. However, a determined partnership between Tristan Stubbs (47) and Gerald Coetzee (19) guided the hosts home in 19 overs, ending India's 11-match winning streak.Chakaravarthy revealed that during the innings break, skipper Suryakumar Yadav urged the team to focus on giving their all without dwelling on the result. "During the innings break, Surya (skipper) came and told us that let's not think about the result and let's just go all out. And that's what we tried to do. We did our best and we could have pulled it off.""Obviously, the mindset has to be aggressive when the score is low. You have to pick wickets and that's when we can win the match. That has to be my approach in the next two games also because it's going to be a do-or-die match for us," he said.Performing well against a strong team like South Africa, according to Chakaravarthy, will give him confidence going into the remaining games. "Definitely, when we came to South Africa, we knew that it's going to be a challenging tour because the Proteas, they are one of the best teams right now and they have a powerful batting lineup.""Doing well against them definitely gives me motivation to do more better and definitely I can. Hopefully I can do well in the upcoming games."India will face South Africa in the third and final T20Is on Wednesday and Friday at Centurion and Johannesburg, respectively.

India's upcoming T20I match against South Africa in Gqeberha has sparked speculation about potential changes to the playing XI. Former cricketer Aakash Chopra suggests that leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi may be dropped in favor of a two-spinner strategy.Chopra believes that Axar Patel's all-round abilities and Varun Chakaravarthy's recent performances make them indispensable. Chakaravarthy's ability to take key wickets, as evidenced in the first match, gives him an edge over Bishnoi.If India opts for two spinners, Chopra predicts that Chakaravarthy and Patel will be the chosen duo. However, the Gqeberha surface may favor a seam-bowling option, potentially opening the door for all-rounder Ramandeep Singh to make his debut.India's squad for the match includes:* Suryakumar Yadav (c)* Abhishek Sharma* Sanju Samson (wk)* Rinku Singh* Tilak Varma* Jitesh Sharma (wk)* Hardik Pandya* Axar Patel* Ramandeep Singh* Varun Chakravarthy* Ravi Bishnoi* Arshdeep Singh* Vijaykumar Vyshak* Avesh Khan* Yash Dayal

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured a resounding victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday, thanks to a stellar all-round performance.Varun Chakaravarthy led the bowling charge for KKR, claiming three wickets for just 16 runs. His mystery spin proved too much for the DC batsmen, who were restricted to a modest total of 153 for 9.In response, KKR opener Philip Salt put on a dazzling display of batting, smashing a 33-ball 68 to set the tone for the chase. Salt and Sunil Narine shared a 79-run opening stand, laying the foundation for KKR's victory.Skipper Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer then guided KKR home with an unbeaten 57-run partnership. Iyer contributed 33 runs, while Venkatesh hit the winning six to seal the victory with 3.3 overs to spare.The win marked KKR's sixth in nine matches, solidifying their position in the top two of the points table. It was also their eighth victory in 10 home matches against DC.The match was played under intense heat, with temperatures soaring above 41 degrees Celsius. Despite the sweltering conditions, the Eden Gardens witnessed a near-capacity crowd, eager to witness the clash between two of the IPL's most successful teams.With just one day remaining for countries to announce their squads for the T20 World Cup in June, players from both teams were keen to impress the national selectors. Salt's impressive performance further strengthened his case for a place in the England squad.