Auckland, October 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India may have already secured the five-match T20I series against New Zealand with a 3-0 lead, but the team has no plans to ease off, spinner Varun Chakravarthy said ahead of the fourth match at Eden Park on Friday.
Chakravarthy revealed that head coach Gautam Gambhir had set a clear target from the outset: win every match in the series. With two games remaining, India will approach them as a separate two-match contest and look to win both, he said.
“The first thing GG told us was that it’s a five-match series and we look to win every match. So that’s the goal. And the next two matches we’ll be taking it as a two-match series. So we need to win both matches,” Chakravarthy said.
India’s confidence has been boosted by its emphatic performance in the third T20I in Wellington, where the visitors chased down a target of 199 in just 13.2 overs. Chakravarthy praised the batters and expressed hope that they would produce another commanding display.
He acknowledged that the conditions and relatively small ground had worked in India’s favour, with the batters accustomed to playing on such surfaces.
The spinner also provided an update on his fitness after a side strain sustained during India’s T20I series against Afghanistan in September. The injury had ruled him out of the Asian Games and a one-off T20I against Japan.
Although selected for the ongoing New Zealand series, Chakravarthy has yet to feature in a match. Asked about his recovery, the 35-year-old said he was feeling much better and was ready to play.
He also spoke about the competition for places in the Indian team, saying the constant emergence of talented players pushed him to keep improving and maintain his performance.
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