Varun Chakravarthy, on a fine run of form in T20Is, has been squeezed into the ODI squad for the India series. Here’s a look at his List A numbers so far.
Has Varun played ODIs before?
Not yet. This is technically his maiden ODI call-up, but he was part of the extended white-ball squads sent to Sri Lanka for the ODI & T20I series in 2021. During the Covid-19 pandemic, India decided to send an expanded unit, to factor in absences due to quarantine, in case of a positive test result.
He ended up playing only the three T20Is, his debut international series, but he didn't feature in the ODI leg of the tour.
What do his List A numbers look like?
Overall, Varun’s List A numbers are spectacular. In 23 matches, he’s taken 59 wickets at 14.13, including four five-wicket hauls and twice taking a career-best 5-9.
All of those matches have come for Tamil Nadu in the Vijay Hazare Trophy across three separate editions: 2018/19, 2023/24 and 2024/25. Between October 2018 and November 2023, he did not play a single List A game.
In the latest edition, which ended in January this year, he ended as the second-highest wicket-taker behind Arshdeep Singh, taking 18 wickets at 12.16. The economy, 4.36, was the best among the top ten wicket-takers of the season. It included his career-best 5-9 against Mizoram, one of the weaker teams in the competition. (they did not win a single game out of six).
Later, in the pre-quarter final, he took 9-0-52-5, but Rajasthan ended up winning the game.
Varun Chakravarthy against each opposition in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25
| Opposition | Table position | Figures | Result |
| Rajasthan | (Pre-quarters) | 9-0-52-5 | Lost |
| Chhattisgarh | 4th | 10-2-34-3 | Won |
| Mizoram | 7th | 10-0-9-5 | Won |
| Vidarbha | 1st | 10-0-49-1 | Lost |
| J&K | 6th | 9-0-39-2 | Won |
| UP | 3rd | 6.5-0-36-2 | Won |
His other two five-fors came against the winless Nagaland, taking 5-3-9-5 in the 2023/24 season, as well as in 2018/19 against Services, who finished third in their group.
Varun Chakravarthy in each season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy
Chakravarthy was the second-highest wicket-taker this season and in 2018/19, while being the joint-highest wicket-taker in the 2023/24 season.
| Season | Wickets | Average | Economy | Best figures |
| 2024/25 | 18 | 12.16 | 4.36 | 5-9 |
| 2023/24 | 19 | 13.05 | 4.27 | 5-9 |
| 2018/19 | 22 | 16.68 | 4.23 | 5-38 |
Will Chakravarthy get a spot right away?
It's tricky, considering this series is India's first since their solo ODI series in 2024 (in August against Sri Lanka). It's also their last ODI series before the Champions Trophy, scheduled for later this month.
India already has four spinners in the squad: Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav. However, the first two have comparable skillsets, and Kuldeep is coming back after an injury lay-off of more than three months.
Given Chakravarthy's domination in the T20Is – 14 wickets at 9.85 – India will be tempted to put him up against England once again, possibly as a wildcard entry into the Champions Trophy. He hasn't been named in the preliminary squad, but teams have until February 11 to make their changes.
With Jasprit Bumrah also under an injury cloud, India could even be tempted to rejig their squad for another wicket-taking option, if Chakravarthy shines in the one-dayers.
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