India stormed into the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals with a commanding win over New Zealand, setting up a high-stakes clash against Australia. As the Men in Blue gear up for the knockout battle, skipper Rohit Sharma finds himself facing an unusual yet welcome dilemma—how to fit in an in-form Varun Chakravarthy into the playing XI.

Chakravarthy’s five-wicket haul against New Zealand, dismantling their middle and lower order, has forced India’s think tank to reconsider their bowling combination. His spell, which saw him dismiss key players like Will Young, Glenn Phillips, and Mitchell Santner, highlighted the value of mystery spin in UAE conditions. The 33-year-old, who had a forgettable start to his international career in 2021, has made a strong comeback, and Rohit acknowledged his growth.

“He has become more accurate now compared to when he first played for India in 2021. Back then, there was some inexperience, but in the last few years, he has gained a lot of match practice through domestic cricket, the IPL, and now for India,” Rohit Sharma said. “He understands his bowling much better, and even some of our batters struggled to pick his variations in the nets, which is always a good sign.”

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With conditions in Dubai favouring spinners, India could be tempted to field four slow bowlers against Australia. Rohit Sharma hinted at this tactical shift but acknowledged the challenge of fitting them into the XI.

“It’s a good headache to have. We need to think about how we can squeeze four spinners into the team because we know exactly what works in these conditions,” he said. “It’s tempting, but we’ll assess Australia’s batting lineup and decide what combination works best.”

Varun Chakravarthy’s effectiveness has been fueled by his improved pace variations and accuracy, making him a more complete bowler.

“When you have a little bit of mystery, you don’t want to be one-dimensional and bowl at the same speed,” Rohit Sharma explained. “You need something different, and he has worked on both his pace variation and accuracy. Now, you see him getting wickets regularly, which is a great sign for us as a team.”

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India’s decision to play four spinners could be a game-changer, especially considering Australia’s historical struggles against quality spin in subcontinental conditions. With a place in the final on the line, Rohit and his team will look to strike the perfect balance between spin and pace as they aim to break their ICC knockout jinx against Australia.