Dinesh Karthik, a former Indian batsman and wicketkeeper, has urged the Indian team to make sure they choose Varun Chakaravarthy, a mystery spinner, for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Given that the spinner is playing at his peak with the ball, Karthik believes the Indian selectors could commit “a grave error” by not selecting him for the tournament.
Since making his comeback to the team in the just finished Twenty20 International series against Bangladesh, Varun Chakaravarthy has been a vital component of the Indian bowling attack. He hadn’t participated in an international match since the 2021 T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, but he was chosen due to his outstanding performance in the Indian Premier League 2024, where he led the Kolkata Knight Riders to the season’s greatest number of wickets.
He has been playing well with the bowling since returning to T20I cricket, taking 13 wickets in his first five games of 2024. He took five wickets in the just finished 2nd T20I match against South Africa, which helped India win a low-scoring match in Gqeberha.
Not Picking Varun Chakaravarthy Would Be A Grave Error
Karthik stated that India must make all effort to guarantee that the mystery-spinner gets included in the Champions Trophy 2025 squad in a message that was posted on his official X account.
“If India don’t pick Varun Chakaravarthy for the Champions Trophy, then they are making a grave error. Outstanding bowler he is turning out to be,” he shared.
However, Tristan Stubbs improved his game and stayed till the very end to assist South Africa win by two wickets in a low-scoring thriller, meaning Varun Chakaravarthy’s five-wicket haul was in naught.
Varun Chakaravarthy will however be hoping that he has argued for his inclusion in the ODI lineup. He hasn’t made his debut in any other format yet, with the exception of T20Is, and his current form may encourage him to move to the 50-over format.