Varun Chakravarthy has been drafted into India’s squad as a late addition for their upcoming three-match ODI series against England starting Thursday (February 6).
Varun travelled with the Indian squad to Nagpur, the venue for the series opener and trained on Tuesday. He was adjudged the Player of the Series in the preceding T20Is against the same opposition, proving instrumental in India’s 4-1 win. Varun scalped 14 wickets at an average of 9.86 and an economy of 7.66.
"The Men’s Selection Committee has added Varun Chakaravarthy to India’s squad for the upcoming 3-match ODI series against England," the BCCI confirmed in a press release.
Still uncapped, this is not Varun’s first ODI call-up. In 2021, he was included in a combined ODI and T20I squad during India’s tour of Sri Lanka.
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So far he has played 23 List A matches, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker in this season’s Vijay Hazare Trophy with 18 wickets in six sixes matches for Tamil Nadu.
Varun’s addition will bolster India’s already potent spin department further. He will join the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.
His selection is a noteworthy development ahead of India’s Champions Trophy campaign. Several frontline bowlers – Kuldeep, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah – are set to return from injuries. Bumrah, recovering from a back injury, is only part of the third match, with Harshit Rana named in the squad for the first two.
India's latest squad for ODI series against England
Rohit Sharma (c), Ꮪhubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy.
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