Varun Chakaravarthy in contention to make Champions Trophy squad, says captain Rohit Sharma

Varun Chakaravarthy in contention to make Champions Trophy squad, says captain Rohit Sharma

Amid uncertainty over Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness ahead of the Champions Trophy, India captain Rohit Sharma indicated that spinner Varun Chakaravarthy could be in contention for a spot in the Indian team if things work out well for him during the three-match ODI series against England.

In a significant development, Varun was added to India’s squad for the ODI series against England on Tuesday, fresh from a stellar performance in the T20I series, where he claimed an impressive 14 wickets in five matches.

And, the leg-spinner earned praise from Rohit. “I understand that it was a T20 format, but he has clearly got something different about him. So we just wanted to have an option and see what we can do with him,” the captain said.

“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 but definitely, he will be in contention. If things plan out well for us and he does what is required then definitely there is something that we need to think about,” he added.

It is believed that the selectors are closely monitoring Varun’s progress, alongside the return of Kuldeep Yadav from injury and Bumrah’s impending scans.

With India set to play all its Champions Trophy matches in Dubai, Varun’s skills could prove crucial, making him a strong contender for selection. The Indian team has until February 12 to make any changes to its squad.