Maybe it’s just the start of Varun Chakravarthy’s ODI career, but it looks like he has already started giving headaches to opponents. After an impressive debut against England, Chakravarthy was a late addition to India’s Champions Trophy squad, replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, he is now enjoying a strong run in the tournament.
As India prepares to face New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final, it’s no surprise that Varun Chakravarthy has become a major concern for the Black Caps. New Zealand head coach Gary Stead himself admitted how dangerous this mystery spinner could be for them.
Speaking to the press, Stead discussed how they are planning their team combination for the final showdown.
“That’s probably what we expect them to play against us. We also have four spinners in our squad, and I think we are pretty well-balanced. It is always a challenge—they (Indian spinners) are very good in their own right. So for us, being clear on our plans and figuring out the right match-ups will be crucial. Who knows, they may have an off day and could hand us the advantage,” Stead said.
New Zealand head coach wary of Varun Chakravarthy’s threat in Champions Trophy final
When asked about how the team is preparing for the Varun Chakravarthy challenge, especially since he took all five wickets of the Black Caps in their last encounter and played a crucial role in India’s victory during the group stage, Stead acknowledged that Chakravarthy could once again be a major threat on the Dubai surface.
“When we have a wrist spinner like him bowling, you look for cues as a batter, and I think it’s a little easier to spot those in daylight. There’s no doubt that he is a class bowler. He showed his skills against us last time and is a big threat in the game. So, we’ll be putting on our thinking caps to figure out how we can nullify that and still score runs against him,” Stead said.
High-stakes battle!
Why not? For both sides, there are quite a few players who could possibly be playing their last ICC tournament. Although it’s hard to speculate, it could turn out to be true, and all those veterans will be eager to perform well in their final ICC event.
For India, all eyes will be on captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while on the other side, Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra are currently in top form, making things even more interesting.
