Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy admitted he didn’t expect his campaign to turn out like it did as India experienced jubilation and euphoria after scripting a memorable win against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday. The winning runs came off Ravindra Jadeja’s bat. He didn’t even turn to look at the ball heading towards the fence. Virat Kohli roared in jubilation and shared a warm embrace with assistant coach Abhishek Nayar and then head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Gambhir, known for his aggression, wore a beaming smile as Jadeja stretched his hands and blew flying kisses towards the dressing room. Behind India’s daunting story of success, Chakravarthy pulled the strings and weaved spin traps to lift India to a famous title.

Chakravarthy, a prime force in India’s talented pool of spin attack, was a late admission in India’s 15-player squad. He ended the tournament as the joint second-highest wicket-taker, boasting nine scalps in three matches, a “dream come true” campaign for him.

“I didn’t expect to turn out like this, a dream come true. The spin was less in the first innings, and I had to be disciplined, just stick to the basics,” Chakravarthy told the broadcasters after the match.

Shreyas Iyer, the unsung hero behind the Indian team outwitting the Kiwis in the final, struggled to sum up his feelings into words. Despite not getting his hands on a century, he was glad to contribute to India’s win.

“Feeling ecstatic, it’s ineffable, hard to put it into words. It’s my first ICC trophy, I’m out of words looking at everyone. The way everyone has performed it’s been great. To be honest, I love to play under pressure. I feel like I thrive under pressure. I’ve been getting into such situations, and it was great to contribute to the win,” he said after the game.

Shreyas ended the tournament as India’s highest run-getter, finishing his campaign with 243 runs at an average of 48.60. In the final, when India lost skipper Rohit Sharma (76) and Virat in a cluster, he kept the scoreboard ticking with his composed 48(62). India chased down the 252-run target to add a third Champions Trophy title to its cabinet with a four-wicket win against the Blackcaps.

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