Reports coming from India claim that one of its most in-form spinners, Varun Chakaravarthy, has joined the Indian squad for a short preparatory camp in Nagpur ahead of the three-match ODI series against England starting February 6. Even though there is no official word about his inclusion in the 15-member squad, his presence at the camp tells that the management is closely following him.

According to The Times of India, Varun Chakaravarthy has seen training along with senior cricketers captain Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, all of whom were already in Nagpur to do some fine-tuning ahead of the crucial series. This chance may prove the biggest step toward the mystery spinner making his ODI debut for India.
Although Chakaravarthy has not played an ODI yet, his performances in T20Is and domestic cricket have sparked discussions about his potential inclusion. In the recently concluded five-match T20I series against England, he emerged as the leading wicket-taker, claiming 14 scalps at a remarkable average of 9.86. His ability to trouble England’s batters with consistency in his variations made him one of the standout performers of the series—something India has lacked in their ODI setup apart from Kuldeep Yadav.
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His List-A record further strengthens his case. In 23 matches, he has bagged 59 wickets at an average of 14.13 with an economy rate of just 4.28. He was also the joint-highest wicket-taking spinner in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy, finishing with 18 wickets at an average of 12.72. His last outing in the tournament, a pre-quarterfinal clash against Rajasthan, saw him register a brilliant five-wicket haul.
Varun Chakravarthy has been added to the ODI squad for the three-match series against England, ESPNcricinfo has learned
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An Indian legend recently retired, Ravichandran Ashwin, has also endorsed Varun Chakaravarthy for a possible ODI debut and even hinted that he could force his way into India’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is starting on February 19.
“We are all debating whether he should have been in the Champions Trophy squad. I feel he might still make it. There’s a chance since teams have only named provisional squads. I have a strong feeling India will give him a shot in the ODI series against England first,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
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With his impressive form and growing confidence, a good showing in the England series could very well open doors for Chakaravarthy to secure a late ticket to Dubai for the Champions Trophy.