Varun Chakravarthy To Be Selected For Champions Trophy? Rohit Sharma Drops Bombshell

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors have included their inform mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, for the three-match ODI series against England. The spinner wasn’t part of the actual squad to take on the opposition.

India has already kept four spinners in their 15-member squad, that will play both the ODI series and the following Champions Trophy 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium. Two left-arm spinners Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja, a left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, and off-spinner Washington Sundar aim to make it hard for the opponent side.

Varun Chakravarthy’s rise in white-ball formats

The 33-year-old enjoyed a great time during the five-match home T20I series against the Jos Buttler-led side. He finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series with the help of 14 scalps in five innings at an average of less than 10 and an economy rate of 7.71.

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None of the visiting batters could read him off the surface or hand as they went through a tough period. The selectors could aim to get him into the ODI squad and decide his selection for the ICC event based on his performance.

Varun Chakravarthy was the second-highest wicket-taker of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25. He picked up 18 wickets in six innings during the 50-over domestic event at an average of just over 12 and a strike rate of 16.72, shouldering o two five-wicket hauls at as the best bowling figure of 5/9 in an inning.

Rohit Sharma speaks on Varun Chakravarthy’s selection

When Rohit Sharma came into the press conference on the eve of the opening ODI in Nagpur, the speculation was if Varun could get a chance to shine in the Champions Trophy. The Indian captain was quick to clear up the stance.

He reckoned that the selection of the spinner certainly puts him in contention for a place in the ICC event, but that will entirely depend on his performance.

“Yeah, look, Varun Chakravarthy has certainly shown something different. I understand that it is a T20 format, but he has got something different about him. So we just wanted to have an option and see what we can do with him.” The 37-year-old expressed in the presser.

Varun Chakravarthy has picked up 59 wickets in 23 innings during the List-A formats at an average of 14.13 and a strike rate of below 20. His economy rate of 4.28 is also superb.

“Clearly, during the series, it presents us an opportunity to play him at some stage and see what he is capable of. Right now, we are not thinking about whether we are going to take him or not, but he will be in contention.” Rohit added.

“If things plan out well for us and he does what is required then definitely there is something that we need to think about.” The Nagpur-born claimed.

India is concerned with Kuldeep Yadav’s fitness

India has been struggling with the fitness status of Kuldeep Yadav. The veteran hasn’t played any comparative cricket since the first of the three-match Test series against New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

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Kuldeep’s successful surgery ruled him out of the five-match red-ball series in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. If he suffers in the three ODIs against England, then Varun Chakravarthy can replace him. Otherwise, Washinton Sundar is likely to miss out on the selection.

The blue brigade has also struggled with Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness. The Ahmedabad-born has joined the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and is stated to show his fitness during the third game of the bilateral series at the Narendra Modi Stadium.