Team India spinner Varun Chakravarthy played his first-ever Champions Trophy match when the Men In Blue played New Zealand in the ongoing 2025 edition on Sunday, March 2, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

The 33-year-old put up a solid performance with the ball, picking up five wickets in only his second ODI match. India batted first and scored 249/9 from their 50 overs. They then bowled New Zealand out for 205 to win the game by 44 runs.

India will now face Australia in the first semi-final on Tuesday, March 4, in Dubai. Given Varun’s sensational performance, let us take a look at the top five best bowling figures on debut in the marquee ICC tournament.

Top 5 best bowling figures on Champions Trophy debut

#5 Imran Tahir (4/27)

Imran Tahir, the South African leg spinner, made his Champions Trophy debut in the 2017 edition against Sri Lanka at The Oval. South Africa batted first and posted 299/6 on the board.

They bowled Sri Lanka out for just 203 and won the game by 96 runs. Imran Tahir led the charge with the ball, impressing in his first outing in the ICC event. He returned with figures of 4/27 and was also awarded ‘Player of the Match’ for his performance.

#4 Gavin Tonge (4/25)

Former West Indies pacer Gavin Tonge played his first match in the Champions Trophy in the 2009 edition against Pakistan in Johannesburg. West Indies batted first and were bowled out for just 133 runs.

Pakistan comfortably chased down the target, reaching 134/5 in just 30.3 overs. However, Tonge proved a bright spot for the West Indies in an otherwise poor performance. He picked four wickets from his 10 overs, giving away only 25 runs with the ball.

#3 Mohammed Shami (5/53)

Mohammed Shami made his Champions Trophy debut for India in their opening game of the ongoing edition against Bangladesh. He was in the squad during the 2017 edition but did not play a single game.

Against Bangladesh, Shami picked up five wickets as India bowled Bangladesh out for 228 before chasing the total down and winning the game by six wickets. In his 10 overs, Shami conceded 53 runs for his five wickets and put up a stellar show with the ball.

#2 Varun Chakravarthy (5/42)

As mentioned above, Varun Chakravarthy made his Champions Trophy debut in the ongoing edition in India’s final group stage game against New Zealand. Defending 249 runs, the Men In Blue needed a solid display with the ball, and Varun was up for the challenge on debut.

He returned with figures of 5/42, picking up some big wickets such as those of Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, and Mitchell Santner. The spinner was also rewarded, winning the ‘Player of the Match’ award.

#1 Josh Hazlewood (6/52)

Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood’s first Champions Trophy appearance came in 2017 against New Zealand in Birmingham. The Kiwis were bowled out for 291 runs after batting first.

Hazlewood was the pick of the bowlers for Australia, putting on a show on his debut in the ICC event. He picked up six wickets for 52 runs from his nine overs. However, his efforts eventually went in vain as the game was called off and produced no result due to rain.