Varun Chakravarthy puts 'captain' Suryakumar Yadav on same pedestal as Rohit Sharma, calls Gautam Gambhir....

India National Cricket Team star spinner Varun Chakravarthy has hailed T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav as equal to the ODI skipper Rohit Sharma in terms of leadership qualities.

Varun Chakravarthy also praised India head coach Gautam Gambhir, saying that he brings the warrior mindset to the dressing room and there is no mediocrity around him.

Varun Chakravarthy to be seen in action in the Asia Cup 2025

The 33-year-old spinner Chakravarthy will be seen in action in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. He is India's premier spin bowler in 20-over cricket and is expected to play a major role for the team.

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Asia Cup 2025 will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 9 to 28 across two venues in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The pitches are expected to be sluggish in nature, and that can make Varun Chakravarthy's role even more important.

Chakravarthy is at the peak of his career, and with some help from the surface, he can switch on his beast mode and single-handedly run through the batting unit of opposition teams.

Overall, he has played 18 T20I matches for India and has bagged 33 wickets at an average of 14.57, an economy of 7.02, and a strike rate of 12.4.

He is all set to be picked in the India squad for the Asia Cup 2025 when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee meets for the squad selection on Tuesday, August 19, in Mumbai.

Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir have played big roles in my comeback - Varun Chakravarthy

In an interview with RevSportz, Varun Chakravarthy credited Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir for his comeback to the Indian Test after a horrible initial run. He elaborated:

"Yes, Surya (Kumar Yadav) and Gautam (Gambhir), I feel have played big roles in my comeback because they wanted me. Surya told me before the Bangladesh tour that “I’m looking at you, let’s see how the other things go, but I’m keen on having you in the team set-up”. Similarly, Gauti Bhai also has helped me a lot in my comeback, the way he motivates me.

"Even if we talk little, he has always given me good confidence and he’s always told that “no matter who’s going to ignore you, I will keep you in my plans for now”. So, that kind of gave me confidence. And if you ask about Gauti Bhai as a mentor, then I would say he brings in a warrior mindset in the dressing room, which is very important and has worked for us at KKR and in the Champions Trophy."

Around him, I always feel there is no mediocrity - Varun Chakravarthy on Gautam Gambhir

Varun Chakravarthy further said that there is no mediocrity around Gautam Gambhir, and players are always motivated to give their very best under his guidance.

While talking about Suryakumar Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy said that he is very similar to Rohit Sharma in terms of leadership style and is a tactical genius. He elaborated:

"We even got to see that in the recently concluded England vs India Test series. He brings energy to the dressing room, which is very important. Around him, I always feel there is no mediocrity. You give everything you have and it doesn’t matter whether you win or you lose.

"And about Surya, he is someone very similar to Rohit [Sharma] – that’s what I’ve seen. He is a very tactically sound, and maybe his time at MI (Mumbai Indians) has given him good exposure to great captains. He is a very good guy and never puts pressure on the bowlers. It would be a bowler’s delight to have a captain like him."

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