The mystery spinner had a challenging outing in India’s dramatic seven-run semifinal victory over England at the Wankhede Stadium, conceding 64 runs in four overs. Despite this, team management and senior players have expressed unwavering support ahead of Sunday’s title clash against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.
India vice-captain Axar Patel revealed that the team has discussed strategies with Chakravarthy to help him stay mentally strong and stick to his plans, even when faced with pressure.
“We have talked about it,” Axar said after the match. “We have played a lot of knockout games and, in these moments, mindset becomes very important. Yes, there is skill, but when you go for runs, don’t change your plan even if the batter is targeting you.”
Confidence, according to Axar, remains key for the world’s top-ranked T20 bowler.
“You have a plan to put it in the stumps first, and then suddenly you change the line. Yes, there could be mistakes in pressure situations. We keep telling him, ‘You are the X-factor, trust yourself.’ When it comes to the ball, it is all about confidence,” he added.
Chakravarthy’s struggles were particularly evident when England’s ","Jacob Bethell","English cricketer"] launched an aggressive assault, hitting three sixes in the spinner’s opening over and scoring 42 runs off just 13 balls in his century.
Despite this onslaught, Axar highlighted Chakravarthy’s crucial contributions. “If you look at it, even after being hit for a few sixes, he got the wicket of people","Jos Buttler","English cricketer"]. He is the number one T20 bowler; he knows what he is doing. It is a matter of mindset,” he said.
With one match remaining in the tournament, Axar believes Chakravarthy still has the potential to deliver a dramatic turnaround.
“We have one more match,” he said. “Maybe he will give a match-winning performance in the final.”
