Varun in Champions Trophy Contention as India Keep Options Open

India's captain Rohit Sharma has hinted that Varun Chakaravarthy could be in contention for a place in the Indian squad for the Champions Trophy if he impresses in the upcoming three-match ODI series against England.

Varun's ODI Debut and Form

Even though Chakaravarthy has yet to make his ODI debut, he has been in impressive form with the ball since IPL 2024, picking 31 wickets in 12 T20Is. He was the Player of the Series in the recently-concluded five-match T20I series against England.

India's Squad for Champions Trophy

India have picked four spinners in the 15-member squad for the 50-over mega-tournament, with three of them offering additional skills with the bat. However, only two days ahead of the England ODIs, India drafted in Chakravarthy for the three-match series.

Rohit's Thoughts on Varun's Selection

"We just wanted to have an option and see what we can do with him," Rohit said. "Clearly, during the series, it presents us an opportunity to play him at some stage and see what he's capable of."

Mohammed Shami's Value in the Team

India have gone with only three frontline pace bowling options for the Champions Trophy. While Jasprit Bumrah is still recovering from his injury, the other pacer in the pack is Arshdeep Singh, who has featured in only eight ODIs for India. In that regard, Mohammed Shami's value in the team goes up.

Rohit Backs Shami to Come Good

Rohit is backing Shami to come good in the Champions Trophy. "Look, he has not played cricket for 1 or 1.5 years. So don't judge the players so soon," he said.

Wicketkeeping Options

Rohit refused to explicitly divulge who the number one choice with the gloves is going to be, but suggested that it could be KL Rahul, who was the wicketkeeper for India in the 2023 World Cup and did fairly well with the bat as well in the middle order for the team.

Bumrah's Recovery Status

The team is still awaiting the status of Bumrah's recovery, and is uncertain if the pacer can join the team for the third ODI.

India's 50-Over Approach

Rohit has stated that it will take some time for the team to get used to the 50-over pattern and resume that brand of cricket. "There is a certain type of cricket that we want to play, certain brand of cricket we want to play. And whether it means we have to go and do what we did in the World Cup, we will try and do that."