Rohit Sharma leaks India's Varun Chakravarthy plan for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

India National Cricket Team captain Rohit Sharma has spilled the beans on the last-minute inclusion of the in-form mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy into the ODI squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series ahead of the Nagpur encounter against England.

Varun Chakravarthy was seen training with India’s ODI squad in Nagpur, and later he was officially named in the squad for the England series, which sparked speculations about his ticket to Dubai for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, starting on February 19.

Rohit Sharma keeps the door open for Varun Chakravarthy’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 entry

Ahead of the three-match ODI series opener in Nagpur’s VCA Stadium, Rohit Sharma hinted at Varun Chakravarthy’s inclusion in India’s squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

However, Rohit Sharma has made it clear that Chakravarthy's selection to the ODI squad brings him one step closer to the big stage, but the Dubai ticket depends on his performance against England.

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Rohit Sharma said at the pre-match press conference, “Yeah, look, he has certainly shown something different. I understand that it is a T20 format, but he has clearly got something different about him. So, we just wanted to have an option and see what we could do with him.”

Rohit Sharma added, “Clearly during the series it presents us an opportunity to play him at some stage and see what he is capable of. Right now, we are not thinking about whether we are going to take him or not, but definitely, he will be in contention. If things pan out really well for us and he does what is required, then definitely there is something that we need to think about.”

Who will make way for Varun Chakravarthy?

Notably, the Indian selectors have already picked four spinners for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, so it will be interesting to see who will make way for Chakravarthy if the leg-spinner manages to impress the selectors and team management with his performances in his ODI debut series.

Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav were picked in the 2025 Champions Trophy squad. However, the Men in Blue would be hoping that Kuldeep Yadav’s comeback should go as planned, as he is set to play his first game in the England ODI series for the first time since the home Test series against New Zealand in October 2024.

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However, the left-arm wrist spinner played in Uttar Pradesh’s last Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match against Madhya Pradesh last month and returned with figures of 3/124. On the other hand, the other three spin all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar, have also been in good form.

Varun Chakravarthy's numbers will tempt Indian selectors!!

Speaking about Varun Chakravarthy, the Tamil Nadu spinner has been on a roll with the ball recently. In the recent T20I series against England, he was adjudged Player of the Series for taking 14 wickets in just five innings.

Before his stunning showing, Chakravarthy finished as the second-highest wicket-taker with 18 wickets in six games at an economy of 12.16 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024.

With 59 wickets in 23 List A matches for Tamil Nadu, including three five-wicket hauls, Chakaravarthy is making his case loud and clear for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, where the Men in Blue will begin their campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20.