"It has always been to....": Varun Chakravarthy on his role in T20I side

Chakravarthy's dream run since his return to the T20I set-up continued as he took three wickets and was named the 'Player of the Match' in India's seven-wicket win over England at Eden Gardens in Kolkata during the first T20I on Wednesday.

Speaking on Disney+Hotstar, Chakravarthy said about his role in the team, "It has always been to look for wickets. Even if you get hit for a six, you look for a wicket with the next ball and keep attacking the stumps. That is what has been told to me."

Chakravarthy, who plays at the same ground for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL), admitted that playing against a top side like England was challenging.

"It is a small ground. I was nervous in the morning looking at the pitch and the boundary size, but I thought if I stuck to my process, I would be able to do well," he added.

Since his return to T20Is and international cricket last year, Chakravarthy has taken 20 wickets in eight T20Is at an average of 11.70, with best figures of 5/17.

In the first match, India won the toss and elected to field. England lost wickets at regular intervals, with only skipper Jos Buttler (68 off 44 balls, with eight fours and two sixes) putting up a fight for the Three Lions. England was restricted to 132 in 20 overs.

Chakravarthy (3/23) was the top wicket-taker for India, while Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya, and Axar Patel each took two wickets.

In the run-chase, Sanju Samson (26 off 20 balls, with four boundaries and a six) put on a 41-run stand with Abhishek Sharma (79 off 34 balls, with five fours and eight sixes), who single-handedly led India to victory with seven wickets and 43 balls to spare.

Varun Chakravarthy was awarded the 'Player of the Match' for his stellar bowling performance. (ANI)