Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has applauded Varun Chakaravarthy for bowling an important spell in the India team’s 2025 Champions Trophy clash against New Zealand in Dubai. He shared that the mystery spinner was dropped from the Indian side after a few poor performances at the same venue in the 2021 T20 World Cup. However, India set New Zealand a 250-run target in the final group game of the 2025 Champions Trophy on Sunday, March 2 as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra’, he said, “It was a storm named Varun Chakaravarthy that blew them away. He trapped their guys one by one. It was absolutely incredible. Varun Chakaravarthy needs to be spoken about because this was the ground where he played the 2021 T20 World Cup. He got very few opportunities and then he was put in cold storage.”

“He was considered not good enough. He was considered an IPL bowler and that he is not that good at the Indian level. The guy went back and put in a lot of hard work. In fact, he was also playing in the TNPL (Tamil Nadu Premier League). He even put an Instagram story – ‘I wish I had a better PR.’ He felt people don’t notice him because he didn’t have a good PR,” he again added.

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“Then he just continued to practice and take wickets. He did extremely well in two IPL seasons, made Kolkata the champions, bowled the difficult overs, and then he was once again selected for India. Then he kept picking up five-wicket hauls. He thrashed South Africa in South Africa and England at home. His wicket tally in two successive series was the best in Indian T20 cricket history,” Chopra shared.

He has claimed 33 wickets which came at an average of 14.57 in 18 T20Is. He took 12 wickets at an average of 11.50 in four T20Is in India’s tour of South Africa before claiming 14 dismissals at an average of 9.85 in five T20Is at home against England. Aakash Chopra also said that many experts like him had raised questions when Varun Chakaravarthy was picked as the fifth spinner in India’s 2025 Champions Trophy squad as well.

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“Bumrah got injured and you said you had to include someone in the team. Four spinners were already there. Gautam Gambhir and the selectors decided to pick a fifth as well. When they did that, many analysts like me, guilty as charged, were asking why you need so many spinners. However, India went with five spinners. They didn’t play him in the first two matches. Here they dropped a fast bowler and played him, and the rest as they say is history. The template is set now. Four spinners against Australia and Varun Chakaravarthy could be our trump card,” Aakash Chopra concluded.