India benefitted from playing four spinners in the final group game against New Zealand.
Former India cricketers Anil Kumble and Mohammad Kaif backed India to pick spinner Varun Chakravarthy in their playing XI for the Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal against Australia.
India benefitted from playing four spinners in the final group game against New Zealand with Varun being the pick of the lot with a stunning 5-42 that set up a 44-run victory for India.
Kaif lavished praise on the Tamil Nadu spinner who made his way to India’s Champions Trophy squad after a superb T20I series against England where he claimed 14 wickets in five matches. On Sunday, he wrecked New Zealand’s middle order.
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Kaif, who had played three editions of the Champions Trophy including 2002 where India shared the trophy with Sri Lanka, felt that Varun’s inclusion would spook the Aussies.
“Varun Chakravarthy… What a story. Wicketless in 3 games during 2021 T20 World Cup, dropped for 3 years, back in Dubai, sits out for 2 games and now a five-wicket haul plus MoM on his 2nd ODI. Varun will surely play semis. No way India will miss the chance to psyche the Aussies,” Kaif wrote in a post on X.
Legendary leg-spinner and former India head coach Anil Kumble also praised Varun following his match-winning performance.
“I think Varun has been exceptional in the last 1-1.5 years, consistently winning matches for whichever team he has played for, whether it’s Tamil Nadu or KKR or for India in T20Is. And now, today, getting an opportunity, because obviously India had already qualified,” Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo Match Day.
Kumble batted for India’s strategy to play four spinners in the semifinal against Australia set to be played in Dubai on Tuesday. India went with that strategy against New Zealand by playing Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun.
“And if this is the kind of pitch India will continue to play on in Dubai, then this four-pronged spin attack would be really a challenge for any team. Australia would find it extremely difficult to maneuver these four spinners,” Kumble said.
India finished top of Group A after beating Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand. The Kiwis will take on South Africa for the second semifinal in Lahore on Wednesday.
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