Varun Chakaravarthy's Slim Chances for India's ODI Squads Against England and Champions Trophy
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New Delhi, Jan 10 (NationPress) Wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy is being viewed as a potential candidate for inclusion in India's squads for the ODIs against England and the Champions Trophy, as reported by sources to IANS.
The Indian team is set to return to international cricket with a series of five T20Is and three ODIs against England, commencing on January 22 in Kolkata, before heading to Dubai for their Champions Trophy journey, with Pakistan hosting the other half of the tournament.
The senior men's selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, will convene on Saturday to finalize the teams for the aforementioned matches, especially with the deadline for the Champions Trophy provisional squad looming on Sunday.
According to IANS sources, Chakaravarthy's chances of being selected for the ODI matches, alongside his guaranteed spot in the T20I squad, arise after he claimed 18 wickets, making him the leading wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which included consecutive five-wicket hauls.
Chakaravarthy delivered an impressive performance for India during the T20I series victories against Bangladesh and South Africa, achieving figures of 5/52 in the pre-quarterfinal of the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Tamil Nadu, although this did not secure a win against Rajasthan at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.
However, with Kuldeep Yadav still undergoing rehabilitation from hernia surgery and gradually resuming bowling at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Varun has a slim chance of entering the ODI setup for the England series and Champions Trophy, as selectors are set to assess the spin department's composition.
Sources also indicated to IANS that KL Rahul will be rested for the three ODIs against England, allowing him to be fresh for the Champions Trophy. Rahul recently played five Tests in Australia, where he made significant contributions with key opening innings in Perth and Brisbane.
Rahul's rest implies that India will need to consider a backup for him in the home ODIs against England, scheduled to be played in Nagpur, Cuttack, and Ahmedabad from February 6-12. In the previous ODI series against Sri Lanka last year, which India lost 2-0, both Rahul and Rishabh Pant served as wicketkeeper-batsmen.
Furthermore, sources noted that Washington Sundar is likely to be included in both squads, while all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who impressed with a score of 114 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, is in the running to participate in the five-match T20I series against England. India has won the Champions Trophy twice and stands alongside Australia as the most successful teams in the eight-team competition.
