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Champions Trophy 2025: Chakaravarthy, who is yet to make his 50-over debut for Team India, accounted for the dismissal of 14 English batters in the recently concluded five-match T20I series.
R Ashwin wants Varun Chakaravarthy in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad. (Picture Credit: Sportzpics)
India squad for Champions Trophy 2025: Legendary Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin wants BCCI to make one change in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad and include Tamil Nadu spinner Varun Chakaravarthy. The 33-year-old spinner was on fire for India in the recently concluded five-match T20I series against England and picked up 14 wickets in five matches. For his superb show with the ball, Chakaravarthy, who is yet to play a 50-over match for Team India, won the Player of the Series award. In the four-match T20I series between India and South Africa as well in November 2024, Chakaravarthy made a big name for himself and dismissed 12 batters.
Impressed by Chakaravarthy’s performance for India in recent matches, Ashwin, who retired from international cricket on December 18, 2024, said that he has a feeling that Varun will make it to India’s Champions Trophy squad.
“We are all talking about whether he should have been there (Champions Trophy squad). I am thinking there is a chance he might be there. I have a feeling he might make it. There is a chance because all teams have named only a provisional squad. So, he might get picked,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“But, if you look at the existing squad, if a seamer goes out and Varun comes in, it will be an added spinner (five). I don’t know who they would want to drop (if they think about getting Varun in). We will wait and see,” he added.
Ashwin, who won the Champions Trophy title with the Indian team in 2013 under MS Dhoni’s leadership by getting the better of England in the final, said he feels Varun will get a chance to play in the upcoming three-match ODI series against England.
“I have a feeling that Varun might get a chance to play in the ODI series between India and England. I don’t think it’s an easy call to take him directly to the Champions Trophy. He has not played ODIs. I have a feeling they will give him a chance in the India vs England ODI series,” Ashwin said.
“If they don’t give him a chance here, then it’s difficult. But, nevertheless, I congratulate Varun for his first Player of the Tournament award. He is the Chakaravarthy of T20I cricket at the moment. I wish he grows more and more,” he concluded.
For the unversed, Chakaravarthy is not part of India’s ODI squad for the England series but could be added to the side in the coming days after his impressive show in the shortest format matches.
