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Gautam Gambhir’s England Tour Strategy: A Startling Suggestion and His Next Move

India’s tour of England will take place in late June this year after IPL

March 14, 2025: India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is gearing up for the Test series in England, slated to begin in late June 2025, marking the start of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. However, he has received an unexpected selection suggestion from former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, urging him to include a “mystery spinner” in the squad.

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📌 The Bold Suggestion: Pick Varun Chakravarthy for Tests

Sidhu believes England struggles against mystery spin, calling it their “swollen nerve.”
He has suggested Varun Chakravarthy or Kuldeep Yadav as India’s trump cards for the Test series.
Varun’s Champions Trophy Stats:
- 9 wickets in 3 matches
- Best figures: 5-wicket haul
- Economy rate: Below 5.00

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💬 Sidhu’s Statement:
“Will you leave out Varun Chakravarthy? No, you will have to play him. Or you will play Kuldeep Yadav with his high-end deliveries from both ends, they can’t read him.”

📌 Will Varun Chakravarthy Make the Cut?

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❌ Unlikely – Despite his T20 brilliance, Varun has played only one First-Class match (2018), making him an improbable choice for Test cricket.
💡 More Likely Picks:

Kuldeep Yadav – An established Test spinner with overseas experience
Ravindra Jadeja – India’s primary all-rounder and left-arm spinner
Ravichandran Ashwin – If selected, he could be a major asset in English conditions

📌 Gambhir’s Master Plan for England

🟢 Traveling with India ‘A’ Team – Reports suggest Gambhir will accompany the India ‘A’ squad on their pre-tour series in England.
🎯 Purpose:

Assess India’s reserve pool for the senior team
Get a head start on pitch conditions and player adaptability

💬 BCCI Source:
“With India winning the Champions Trophy after Gambhir’s insistence on certain wild card players, one may expect him to assert more in future.”

📌 What to Expect from India’s Test Squad?

✔ Fast Bowlers – Bumrah, Siraj, Shami (if fit), Prasidh Krishna
✔ Spin Options – Kuldeep, Jadeja, Axar Patel (Ashwin – an outside chance)
✔ Batting Core – Rohit, Gill, Kohli, Pujara (if selected), Iyer, Pant
✔ Wicketkeeper Debate – Pant vs Bharat vs KL Rahul