Leg and Off: Should India consider Varun Chakravarthy for the Champions Trophy?
On the back of his Indian Premier League (IPL) exploits, leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy made his international debut for India in a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka in Colombo in July 2021. While he managed only two wickets in the series, Chakravarthy finished with an impressive economy rate of 5.30.
Interestingly, he was picked for the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE ahead of experienced leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. The Tamil Nadu bowler, however, struggled to make any impact in the ICC event. He played three matches and went wicketless in all of them after which he was dropped from the team.
Having played a stellar role in the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) IPL 2024 triumph, Chakravarthy was recalled to the India T20I team after a gap of three years. The 33-year-old has been brilliant since making a comeback to international cricket. He claimed five scalps in three T20Is against Bangladesh and has already picked up eight wickets in two games in South Africa, including 5-17 in Gqeberha on Sunday.
Too premature to think of Varun Chakravarthy for the Champions Trophy?
In the wake of Chakravarthy's excellent comeback to international cricket, former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has opined that the Men in Blue must pick the leg-spinner for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Sharing a post on his official X handle, he wrote:
"If India don't pick VARUN CHAKRAVARTHY for the Champions Trophy, then they are making a grave error. Outstanding Bowler he is turning out to be."
Notably, Chakravarthy is yet to make his one-day debut for India. He has always been viewed as a T20 specialist. If we look at his List A career, he has played only 17 matches since making his debut in September 2018. Having said that, he does have an impressive record in the format and has claimed 41 wickets at an average of 15 and an economy rate of 4.25.
Also, he has only played one first-class match in his career so far. In contrast, the 33-year-old has featured in 92 T20s in which he has claimed 111 wickets at an average of 22.44 and an economy rate of 7.23. There have been concerns over Chakravarthy's fitness in the past, although he claimed earlier this year that someone spread fake injury news to sideline him.
The main point of debate concerning the leg-spinner's inclusion in the Indian squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy is whether his body can take the burden of a 50-over contest. Unlike in T20s, he will have to bowl 10 overs in one-dayers and will need to maintain his rhythm and consistency in line and length. The challenges of playing ODI cricket are very different from that of the T20 format.
Further, Chakravarthy does not possess decent skills with the bat or in the field. The same can be hidden in T20Is but could get brutally exposed in the much-longer format of limited-overs cricket. Considering all the above issues, the Indian team management and selectors must think twice before deciding on whether or not to pick him for the ICC 2025 Champions Trophy.
Could Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav form a threatening pair in the Champions Trophy?
While there are many reasons for India to not pick Chakravarthy for the Champions Trophy, there is also a contrary view that he could be an efficient partner for left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the ICC event. If we look at Team India's current spin options in ODIs, Kuldeep is their primary wicket-taker, but they are yet to find a replacement for Yuzvendra Chahal.
Left-arm spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel are economical bowlers, but average 36 and 32 respectively in the one-day format. Off-spinner Riyan Parag did a good job in Sri Lanka, but cannot be expected to bowl 10 overs in every game. India also have the option of Washington Sundar but based on current form, Chakravarthy looks the most threatening.
As mentioned earlier, though, picking the Tamil Nadu leg-spinner for the Champions Trophy comes with its own set of risks. It would be fair to say that he is pretty much an untested product when it comes to the 50-over format. No doubt, Chakravarthy has made a stellar comeback to international cricket. But whether he has done enough to be picked for the Champions Trophy is highly debatable.