3 reasons why India must stick with Varun Chakravarthy in the playing 11 for the rest of 2025 Champions Trophy

Team India spinner Varun Chakravarthy continued his dream run in white-ball cricket with a match-winning spell against New Zealand in the 2025 Champions Trophy on March 2 in Dubai. With India defending a modest 249, the 33-year-old decimated the Kiwi batting lineup, producing figures of 5 for 42 in 10 overs.

Varun's brilliance helped India win by 44 runs and thereby finish atop Group A with three victories in as many games. Yet, with all the joy comes some head-scratching for the Indian management, heading into the all-important semi-final against Australia.

With the inclusion of Varun, India boasted four spinners and a lone specialist seamer (excluding the all-round skills of Hardik Pandya) in their playing XI against New Zealand. Considering Harshit Rana, who Varun replaced, produced terrific results himself, India are in a dilemma of sorts on identifying the ideal balance for the Australia outing.

Yet, Varun's Player of the Match has now tilted the debate into - four-spinner attack or which of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel will make way for a second specialist spinner?

Varun's presence in the Indian XI is almost a non-negotiable for the remainder of the Champions Trophy and here are three reasons why.

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#1 Milk the Mystery, Myth and Form

If ever there was an instance of form having to take precedence over reputation and experience in cricket, Varun Chakravarthy should be the flag-bearer of the same. The 33-year-old has been in other-worldly bowling form in white-ball cricket since his return to the Indian side in October 2024.

Varun has picked up 33 wickets in 18 T20Is during this stretch at a stunning average of 14.57 and an economy of 7.02, including two five-wicket hauls. Yet, there were some skepticism over the leg-spinner being able to replicate such performances in the longer ODI format.

Varun has answered those in style, picking up six wickets in his two ODI appearances at an average of 16 and an economy of under five. Beyond the incredible overall numbers, Varun's three five-wicket hauls in his last 14 white-ball games is evidence of his game-changing potential.

Yet, even these outstanding numbers pale in front of the eye test, which continues to showcase opposition batters' restlessness against Varun. Picking the Tamil Nadu spinner and his umpteen variations has been a herculean task thus far for all batters around the globe.

And until his mystery and myth prevails, Team India should use it to their advantage, similar to what Sri Lanka did years back with Ajantha Mendis. Varun's stranglehold on opposition batters is almost half the battle won for India even before the players enter the battlefield.

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#2 India's potential opponents are yet to face or master Varun Chakravarthy

India's semi-final opponent, Australia, could be in for a rude awakening when they face Varun Chakravarthy in two days. None of their top seven have faced India's newest spin sensation in international cricket and only Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell have encountered him, that too in the IPL.

While Smith has never been dismissed in the 10 balls faced off Varun in 2021, it is chalk and cheese between the Varun of then and now. As for Maxwell, the nightmares may have already started as he has been dismissed thrice in 30 balls by Varun in the IPL.

Should India take care of business against Australia and face New Zealand or South Africa in the final, the above-mentioned lines hold true. The whole world just watched Varun torment the highly rated Kiwi batting lineup last night in Dubai - the same venue for the summit clash.

As for South Africa, most of their batters from the recent home T20I series are part of the playing 11 for the ongoing Champions Trophy. And almost all of them were clueless against the guile of Varun, who picked up 12 wickets in four matches at an average of 11.50.

If the Proteas batters were in a predicament against Varun on home soil with conditions hardly aiding spin, imagine their potential plight on the slow and low Dubai wicket in a big ICC final.

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#3 Conditions on offer

Dubai has fast turned into a spinners paradise through the 2025 Champions Trophy[Credit: Getty]

Varun Chakravarthy's relationship with the Dubai pitch did not take off on the right note, with the spinner going wicketless in his first three T20Is at the venue in 2021. Yet, things came full circle when the 33-year-old picked up his maiden ODI five-wicket haul against New Zealand at the very arena.

Furthermore, the Dubai condition, favoring spinners from the first game of the Champions Trophy, has only become more spin-friendly by the day. Turn aside, the uneven nature of the wicket and the bigger boundaries, work perfectly to Varun's benefit.

With India set to play the semi-final and final (if they qualify) in Dubai, Varun's five-wicket haul against New Zealand might be only the appetizer to the main course.