"VARUN CHAKARAVARTHY’S PERFORMANCE MAY HAVE CREATED A SELECTION DILEMMA HEADING INTO THE SEMI-FINALS”: AMBATI RAYUDU

As India secured a victory against New Zealand in their final group stage match and progressed to the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy Semi-final, former India cricketer and JioStar expert Ambati Rayudu shared his insights exclusively on JioHotstar during the post-match discussion.

Speaking exclusively on JioHotstar after the India vs New Zealand clash in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, Ambati Rayudu lauded India’s spinners, with a special mention of Varun Chakaravarthy. He said:
Varun was great today. Early in his career, he wasn’t very consistent with his lines and lengths. But now, his bowling makes him a very difficult bowler to face. His action naturally makes it look like he’s delivering left-arm spin, but 90% of his deliveries are googlies, making it tough for batsmen who haven’t faced him before. I don't think many New Zealand batsmen have played against him much, and he will only continue to improve for India. His impressive performance might have created a selection dilemma heading into the semi-finals. India will have a tough time deciding, with so many big players to choose from, but Varun Chakravarthy has been brilliant. We’ve seen his impact in India, and all the spinners were outstanding today—Jadeja was amazing, and all four spinners bowled exceptionally well. The pitch definitely assisted them, but New Zealand’s batsmen also struggled against spin, which is an area they will need to improve."

Ambati Rayudu also spoke about Shreyas Iyer’s performance, saying:
"The importance of a No. 4 batsman is evident here. You need someone to play such crucial innings when the top order fails, especially on challenging surfaces that are not easy to bat on. That’s where No. 4 and No. 5 become critical in an ODI game. Shreyas played an amazing innings, and his partnership with Axar Patel was crucial. The ease with which he batted on this pitch was remarkable. He handled short balls well until he got out and played spin beautifully, using the crease and angles to his advantage. He picked the pace of the ball much better than many others in the Indian lineup. It was an unbelievable knock, and he's been a champion at No. 4. We don’t talk about him enough, but he has had a great impact on this Indian side."

Rayudu also reflected on Virat Kohli’s landmark 300th ODI appearance, acknowledging its significance in cricket history. He said:
"The intent was there, and expectations were high. You could see in his eyes that he was focused, hungry for a big score. On big occasions, Virat Kohli usually rises to the challenge and gives us those celebratory moments. Unfortunately, today, Glenn Phillips took an unbelievable catch to dismiss him. It was just one of those days where luck wasn't on his side. But hopefully, he converts this hunger into a big innings in the semi-finals. We all want to see him at his best, and he has our full support. Glenn Phillips just spoiled the party today."

Looking ahead to the semi-final clash against Australia, Rayudu highlighted a key battle to watch out for:
"It’s going to be Adam Zampa versus Virat Kohli. Virat has struggled a bit against leg-spinners lately, but the kind of form he has shown in this tournament will serve him well against Australia."

Catch all the action as India take on Australia at 2:30 PM IST on Tuesday, March 4, in the first ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 Semi-final, only on JioStar Network and JioHotstar.