Varun Chakravarthy locked in for CT 2025 semi-final: 'No way India will miss a chance to psyche Australia'

Mohammad Kaif showered rich praise on Varun Chakravarthy after his match-winning five-wicket haul for India in their final ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match against New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Sunday (March 2).

The former Indian batter mentioned how Varun Chakravarthy made a remarkable comeback at the same ground where he was dropped from the Indian cricket team in a video posted on his X handle. Chakravarthy was dropped from the Indian team after he went wicketless in Dubai during the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Mohammad Kaif hails Varun Chakravarthy’s stunning comeback in Dubai after five-wicket haul against New Zealand

But the mystery spinner managed to make his comeback in Dubai stronger and even more impactful, and Kaif could not just help him to praise Varun. The former Indian batter said that Chakravarthy’s comeback story is wonderful and saluted him for his journey for the past four years.

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Kaif also backed Chakravarthy to play in India’s semifinal game against Australia on March 4 in Dubai. The cricket pundit said that the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir won’t be able to drop such match-winner Varun for the semifinal against Australia.

Varun Chakravarthy will surely play semis: Mohammad Kaif

Sharing a clip, Mohammad Kaif wrote on X: “Varun Chakravarthy... What a story. Wicketless in 3 games during the 2021 T20 World Cup, dropped for 3 years, back in Dubai, sits out for 2 games, and now a five-wicket haul plus MoM on his 2nd ODI. Varun will surely play semis. No way India will miss the chance to psyche the Aussies.”

Varun Chakravarthy... What a story. Wicketless in 3 games during 2021 T20 World Cup, dropped for 3 years, back in Dubai, sits out for 2 games and now a five-wicket haul plus MoM on his 2nd ODI. Varun will surely play semis. No way India will miss the chance to psyche the… pic.twitter.com/PiC8Ckb5R8

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) March 2, 2025

Meanwhile, Varun Chakravarthy has turned his career around in remarkable fashion after a disappointing 2021 T20 World Cup campaign. Back then, he was preferred over Ravichandran Ashwin, but he failed to make an impact, going wicketless in three matches.

The setback led him to be sidelined for three years, but his resurgence has been nothing short of extraordinary. After a long wait, Varun made his T20I comeback in a home series against Bangladesh last year. Since then, he has been on a wicket-taking spree, claiming 31 wickets in his last 12 T20Is.

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Varun Chakravarthy impresses one and all with his performance against England

His standout performances came in the recent five-match T20I series against England, where he bagged 14 wickets and played a major role in India’s dominance. His exceptional show also earned him a maiden ODI call-up against England last month.

In his first ODI appearance, Chakaravarthy finished with figures of 1/54, but his control and variations caught the attention of India’s leadership group, and he was named in India’s squad for the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. However, the mystery didn’t get a chance in the first two games, but in the last group match, Varun grabbed his opportunity with both hands.

Chakravarthy finished with the stunning figures of 5/42 in 10 overs to help India defend the 249 runs, as they defeated the Black Caps by 44 runs in Dubai on Sunday. Now, India will face Australia in the semifinal on March 4 at the same venue in Dubai.