Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma on Varun Chakravarthy: ‘He Keeps His Weapons for the Match’

India’s mystery spinner gears up for Champions Trophy debut, keeps variations secret in training

Dubai [UAE], February 20: As India prepares for its Champions Trophy 2025 opener against Bangladesh, captain Rohit Sharma has shed light on Varun Chakravarthy’s unique approach to training. According to Rohit, the mystery spinner holds back his variations in practice, keeping them a surprise for opponents.

Chakravarthy, who was a late addition to India’s 15-player squad, replaced Yashasvi Jaiswal to bolster India’s spin attack. With his inclusion, India now has a five-man spin arsenal, making them a formidable force in the UAE conditions.

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Chakravarthy’s Mystery in the Nets

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Rohit revealed that Chakravarthy does not showcase all his tricks while bowling to Indian batters in the nets.

“Varun Chakravarthy doesn’t bowl a lot of variations to us. He bowls only one kind of variety, so maybe he keeps it for the match, which is good for us. What weapons he has, only he knows,” Rohit said ahead of India’s match against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai.

Chakravarthy’s Rise & Gambhir’s Backing

Chakravarthy has made a significant impact in T20Is for India, and his performances have earned him an ODI call-up. He made his 50-over debut against England in Cuttack, where he restricted the opposition’s scoring, finishing with 1/54 in 10 overs.

His breakthrough moment came during the T20I series against England, where he finished as the leading wicket-taker across both teams. He claimed 14 wickets at an average of 9.86, including a five-wicket haul, proving his ability to dismantle top batting line-ups.

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir recently highlighted why the management opted for Chakravarthy over Jaiswal.

“The only reason was that we wanted another wicket-taking option in the middle. We know what Varun brings to the table and that he can be a massive threat to teams that haven’t played him. He could be an X-factor as well,” Gambhir explained.

With Chakravarthy’s mystery spin and India’s strong spin attack, the Men in Blue will aim for a strong start against Bangladesh in their Champions Trophy campaign.

India vs Bangladesh: Squads for Champions Trophy 2025

India:

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy.

Bangladesh:

Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.


Tags: ICC Champions Trophy 2025, India vs Bangladesh, Rohit Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy, India Cricket, Mystery Spinner, Team India, Cricket News, Gautam Gambhir, Bangladesh Cricket

Sports Desk

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