Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan, who is popularly known as ‘Mr ICC’ due to his impressive performances in ICC tournaments and currently a Champions Trophy 2025 ambassador, shared his thoughts on India’s bold decision to include mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy in the playing XI, calling it a “masterstroke.”
Initially, fans viewed Varun’s inclusion as a gamble, considering his last outing in Dubai back in 2021 didn’t go well. However, he has now completely redeemed himself with impressive performances, rightfully earning praise for his success.
Speaking further about Varun, Shikhar Dhawan said, I really liked their decision to bring in an extra spinner, Varun Chakravarthy. It proved to be a game-changing move and was a brilliant call by the captain and coaches.
He has made India a more balanced side, especially on the slow and turning pitches. It’s very hard to pick the ball from Varun’s hand, and that has given India a real edge, that’s why they started dominating more, Dhawan told ICC.
No Bumrah, no problem for India!
The former star batter also spoke about how everyone has been doing their job nicely. On top of that, despite Bumrah not being in the squad, they still made it to the finals, showing how big the team is.
Everyone is carrying out their role nicely, as they had to in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.
Bumrah is the best bowler in the world, and it’s amazing to see how India have reached the final without him in such a competitive tournament.
Beating New Zealand will be challenging
In the ICC media release, Shikhar Dhawan also mentioned how impressive New Zealand’s cricket has been so far in the tournament. He acknowledged that they are certainly a team that won’t be easy to face, as they play disciplined cricket and showcase their brilliance on the field. On top of that, their big names, such as Kane Williamson and Glenn Phillips, have been performing well.
The final should be a fantastic match as New Zealand are also a great team. Their own spinners have excelled and one of them, captain Mitchell Santer, has been a great player for many years.
He always chips in with bat and ball, and the way he varies his pace makes him a very intelligent cricketer.
With the bat, Kane Williamson – who I have played alongside in the past – remains a great cricketer. His technique is amazing, as is his adaptability on the pitch and the way he soaks up pressure. That’s why his consistency is so good.
He plays close to his body, he takes his time and scores big runs. We have to watch out for him and make sure we get him out early – while Rachin Ravindra is another big wicket.
Scoring two centuries in one tournament is a big thing and to come in and score that heavily shows tremendous belief as well as skill and mental strength. It takes all those qualities to perform at international level.
I remember the nerves and excitement I felt in the lead-up to the two Champions Trophy finals I played, in 2013 and 2017. We had our team meetings to discuss our plans and while I was excited, I had to make sure I slept well to keep myself fresh for the game.
You know it’s a big day and you really want to lift the trophy, so that excitement is there, but you have to stay in the moment, stay calm and composed and not look too far ahead. We just had to focus on the basics and play the ball.
Winning the Champions Trophy would be very big for us, it would mean a big celebration.
