Varun Chakravarthy (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has highlighted Varun Chakravarthy as a potential match-winner in India’s ICC Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia, acknowledging that many, including himself, had questioned his inclusion in the squad.
“Bumrah got injured and you said you had to include someone in the team. Four spinners were already there. Gautam Gambhir and the selectors decided to pick a fifth as well. When they did that, many analysts like me, guilty as charged, were asking why you need so many spinners,” Chopra admitted on his YouTube channel.
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Chopra believes that Chakravarthy’s stellar performance against New Zealand has cemented India’s strategy for the semi-final, with four spinners likely to feature.
“However, India went with five spinners. They didn’t play him in the first two matches. Here they dropped a fast bowler and played him, and the rest, as they say, is history. The template is set now. Four spinners against Australia and Varun Chakravarthy could be our trump card,” he stated.

Chakravarthy played a key role in India’s 44-run victory over New Zealand in their final group-stage fixture. Defending a 250-run target, he delivered a game-changing spell of 5/42 in 10 overs, helping dismiss New Zealand for 205 and securing India’s top finish in Group A.
Chopra praised the mystery spinner’s rise, especially given his struggles at the same venue during the 2021 T20 World Cup.
“It was a storm named Varun Chakravarthy that blew them away. He trapped their guys one by one. It was absolutely incredible. Varun Chakravarthy needs to be spoken about because this was the ground where he played the 2021 T20 World Cup. He got very few opportunities and then he was put in cold storage,” Chopra remarked.
The former opener recounted how Chakravarthy was dismissed as an IPL specialist before working his way back into the national team.
“He was considered not good enough. He was considered an IPL bowler and that he is not that good at the Indian level. The guy went back and put in a lot of hard work. In fact, he was also playing in the TNPL (Tamil Nadu Premier League). He even put an Instagram story – ‘I wish I had a better PR.’ He felt people don’t notice him because he didn’t have a good PR,” Chopra revealed.

Chakravarthy’s persistence eventually paid off, earning him a return to the Indian side following back-to-back standout IPL seasons.
“Then he just continued to practice and take wickets. He did extremely well in two IPL seasons, made Kolkata the champions, bowled the difficult overs, and then he was once again selected for India. Then he kept picking up five-wicket hauls. He thrashed South Africa in South Africa and England at home. His wicket tally in two successive series was the best in Indian T20 cricket history,” Chopra elaborated.
With his resurgence and a crucial performance under his belt, Varun Chakravarthy now stands as a key weapon in India’s spin-heavy attack ahead of their semi-final clash with Australia in Dubai on Tuesday.