Ashwin calls for change in India’s Champions Trophy squad, pushes for Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakaravarthy has quickly become one of India’s top T20I bowlers. His impressive performances in the past series against South Africa and England have made him a strong contender for India’s Champions Trophy squad. In the recent five-match T20I series against England, India triumphed 4-1, with Chakaravarthy claiming 14 wickets, the most by any Indian and equal to the highest in a bilateral T20I series.

His standout show against England propelled him to No.5 in the ICC T20I rankings for bowlers. Chakaravarthy’s ability to strike in the middle overs, even when batters aren’t attacking, has caught the attention of India’s players, including Ravichandran Ashwin.

India has already named its 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy, scheduled to take place from February 19 in Pakistan and UAE. However, Chakaravarthy is not part of that squad, which includes four spin-bowling options: Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar.

All teams can make changes to their provisional squads until the second week of February, and Ashwin believes Chakaravarthy could still find his way into the final team.

“I think there is a chance he might be there,” Ashwin said on his channel. “The squads are provisional, and he could get picked.” He added that if a seamer is dropped, Chakaravarthy could be added as an extra spinner, though he acknowledged that the selectors would have to decide who to drop.

Ashwin also sees the upcoming three-match ODI series between India and England, starting February 6, as a good opportunity to assess Chakaravarthy’s potential in the 50-over format. While he hasn’t played ODIs at the international level yet, Chakaravarthy has impressive domestic numbers, having taken 18 wickets in just six matches at an average of 12.72 in last year’s Vijay Hazare Trophy.

“I feel Varun might get a chance in the ODI series,” Ashwin said. “But bringing him into the Champions Trophy squad without an ODI appearance is tough. I hope he gets a chance in the series.”

Despite not yet making it to the Champions Trophy squad, Ashwin praised Chakaravarthy for his success in T20Is and his recent Player of the Tournament award. “He’s the Chakravarthy of T20I cricket,” Ashwin said, wishing him continued growth.