Champions Trophy 2025
Ravichandran Ashwin Backs Varun Chakaravarthy For A Late Entry into CT 2025 Squad
By CricShots - Feb 4, 2025 12:20 pm
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Ravichandran Ashwin believes that Varun Chakaravarthy could still find his way into India’s squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, set to begin on February 19. Although India has already announced a provisional 15-man squad, Ashwin feels that the mystery spinner’s exceptional recent performances might force selectors to reconsider their choices.

Varun Chakravarthy
Varun Chakravarthy

Chakaravarthy has been one of the most forgettable first tours of an Indian player during the 2021 T20 World Cup, with almost three years going by in between before this year’s success. But Chakaravarthy came roaring back in 2024, to establish himself as one of India’s finest T20 bowlers.

And since his comeback, the 33-year-old has picked 31 wickets in 12 games at a scintillating average of 11.25. His recent shows against England in the T20I series were a class performance when he picked up 14 wickets in five matches, thus winning the Player of the Series award.

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Yet, Varun Chakaravarthy was left out of India’s Champions Trophy team, as they already have four frontline spinners in the shape of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar. Ashwin still believes there’s a slight hope for him in the list by February 12. “We all are discussing whether he should have been picked for the Champions Trophy. But I always felt that there is still a chance that he might play,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin

All teams just announced provisionally selected squads, so there is scope for revision also. However, Ravichandran Ashwin also highlighted the selection dilemma that could arise if Chakaravarthy is added to the squad. “If a seamer is dropped to accommodate Varun, it would mean India enters the tournament with five spinners. I don’t know if they would want to do that, but we will have to wait and see,” he added.

India will also field the same ODI squad as for the upcoming Champions Trophy during a three-match ODI series against England ahead of that competition. The most significant unknown still is the fitness of Jasprit Bumrah, and Ashwin thinks Chakaravarthy might earn his first ODI cap for India if Bumrah isn’t fit to play.

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I think Varun might get a chance in the ODI series against England before they finalize the squad. He has never played ODIs, so selecting him directly for the Champions Trophy would be a bit of risk. If he doesn’t get a game in this series, then it will be tough for him to make the final squad,” Ravichandran Ashwin noted.

Chakaravarthy has a good List A record, with 59 wickets in 23 matches at an average of 14.13 and a strike rate of 19.80, with four five-wicket hauls. Whether these numbers and his recent T20I heroics will be enough to earn him a late call-up remains to be seen.