After a stellar List A season and a late call-up to the ODI series against England, could Varun Chakravarthy be in the frame for a Champions Trophy spot?
Even six months ago, this might have been unthinkable. But such has been the nature of Varun Chakravarthy's late-career resurgence.
His international career looked to be all but over once India dropped him from the side following the 2021 T20 World Cup. That was perhaps a harsh call, but at the time, India looked at an inexperienced, 30-year-old spinner who had gone wicketless in the tournament and was not a natural athlete either. It was understandable that they felt gambling on younger prospects might be a better way forward.
Also read: Analysed: How can England solve the Varun Chakravarthy mystery?
But fast-forward to the present, and Varun has had back-to-back IPL seasons with 20-plus wickets, reinvented his bowling style and forced his way back into India's T20I setup to the point where he is undroppable – all at the age of 33.
He was added to India's squad for the ongoing ODI series against England, and if he plays, Varun will become the country's oldest ODI debutant after Farokh Engineer in 1974, during India's first-ever match in the format.
But is there a case to be made for going a step further, and including him in India's Champions Trophy squad?
The case for Varun...
Merit-based arguments are a favourite when it comes to selection discussions. The most heated conflicts tend to arise when multiple players command a place on their strengths.
The biggest point in Varun's favour at the moment is that he is in stunning form, albeit in T20Is. He's taken 31 wickets in 12 matches since his return against Bangladesh in Gwalior last October – taking at least two scalps in every match except one, where he conceded just 23 runs in his four overs.
These wickets have come across a variety of opposition and conditions – Bangladesh and England at home, and South Africa away, which can be an unforgiving country for traditional spinners.
Read more: Already on a roll, Varun Chakravarthy's List A numbers suggest ODI success might not be far too
The other major factor to support his push for a Champions Trophy spot is that his skills seem to be translatable from the 20-over to the 50-over format. In the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, India's domestic List A tournament, he was the joint-second highest wicket-taker with 18 from just six matches, averaging a measly 12 runs per wicket. In the 2023-24 edition, he took 19 wickets at 13.0.
Varun, and Arshdeep Singh, are the only two bowlers currently in India's ODI squad who have been in the rhythm of 50-over cricket of late. Kuldeep Yadav has been injured, and Harshit Rana did not play this edition of the VHT as he was with the Indian Test team in Australia.
Mohammed Shami did play a few games, but India are treading carefully with him, as he returns from injury. Jasprit Bumrah, expected to make the Champions Trophy squad if he's fit, last played a 50-over game in the 2023 World Cup final.
Having someone like Varun, with 50-over matches under his belt, in and around the squad at least would not be the worst idea.
...and the case against Varun
For all of the points mentioned above, it's still no straightforward choice to include Varun in the Champions Trophy squad. From a team composition point of view, the first consideration is where he would fit in the playing XI if he was to play.
India's XI against England in Nagpur saw them go in with two specialist pacers, one specialist spinner, two spin all-rounders and one pace all-rounder – three spinners and three pacers. In the Champions Trophy, there will be little incentive for an extra spinner on top of this, meaning Varun would be unlikely to replace one of the pacers here.
He's unlikely to replace one of the spin all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel either. India have favoured long batting lineups in all three formats under Gautam Gambhir, and there is a readymade backup for this pair in the form of Washington Sundar. Besides, both Jadeja and Axar are good enough bowlers that the trade-off of minimal batting from Varun is not worth it.
It leaves just one potential spot for Varun in an Indian playing XI – as the specialist spinner, taking the place of Kuldeep Yadav (from the team that played the Nagpur ODI).
In this straight shoot-out, Varun is not a clear winner. Kuldeep may have had a tough outing in the first ODI, with 1-53, but he is just returning after surgery. Since 2022, he's taken 66 wickets in 42 ODIs and for all of Varun's prowess at the domestic level, international cricket is still a big step up. Kuldeep is a proven performer at this level in this format.
From a squad perspective, there is probably a case for leaving out Washington Sundar to get Varun in, but once again, India's preference for batting depth means it is likely they would rather have cover for the all-rounders, than a specialist bowler.
The more intriguing possibility would be India drafting Varun into the squad in case Bumrah is ruled out of the tournament. They would then have him as a backup for Kuldeep, but it would leave Arshdeep and Shami as the only specialist quicks in the squad – risky when the latter is still on the road back to full match fitness.
On the weight of his performances, Varun has an excellent case for inclusion in the Champions Trophy squad. But the answer is rather more muddled when considering who should be left out if that is to happen.
If, in the last two ODIs against England, Kuldeep looks far off his best and Varun nails what could be an informal audition, the scales might tip ever so slightly in his favour. For now, though, the answer to whether he makes the squad probably remains no.
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