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Varun Chakaravarthy's late ODI entry touted to have a 'bigger say': 'You don't call someone from outside to have tea'

Feb 05, 2025 12:35 PM IST

With the deadline for squad changes for the Champions Trophy set for February 12, the team management is keeping a close eye on Varun Chakaravarthy.

Former cricketer Aakash Chopra feels that Varun Chakaravarthy, who made a last-minute entry into the Indian ODI team for the England series, will get a chance in the XI straightaway. The 34-year-old spinner had an incredible five-match T20I series where he claimed 14 wickets and was named Player of the Series. The mystery spinner was picked in India's ODI squad a couple of days before the first ODI despite having four spinners in the squad. It is expected to be the audition for him to make another late entry into the Champions Trophy squad.

Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy celebrates a wicket during the recently concluded T20I series against England.( (PTI Photo))
Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy celebrates a wicket during the recently concluded T20I series against England.( (PTI Photo))

Chopra, who has often praised Chakaravarthy since his comeback in international cricket, said that having an extra wrist spinner in the squad might have a bigger say than having too many finger spinners.

"This is a big one as well because Varun Chakaravarthy was in my original team. I felt Varun should be kept because you won't need too many finger spinners and the wrist spinners might actually have a bigger say. However, the selectors hadn't picked him," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Chakravarthy was seen training and bowling in the nets on Tuesday. With the deadline for squad changes for the Champions Trophy set for February 12, the team management is keeping a close eye on him to assess whether he should be picked for the mega ICC event.

‘You cannot make him warm the bench’

Meanwhile, Chopra asserted that picking Chakaravarthy late in the ODI team suggested that he would be a definite starter in the first ODI at Nagpur.

"Now you have suddenly picked Varun Chakaravarthy here. Since you have decided to use his current red-hot form, which I think is the right thing to do, you will have to play him here now. You cannot make him warm the bench. You don't call someone from outside to have tea. Now that you have come, you have to play," Chopra added.

The 34-year-old showed great signs and performed consistently on batting-friendly surfaces in the recent T20I series against England, finishing as the leading wicket-taker at an impressive average of 9.85. He also picked up 18 wickets for Tamil Nadu in the National One Day Championship to make a case for ODI debut.

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