Dinesh Karthik questions Varun Chakravarthy's omission from Champions Trophy squad
What's the story
Former Indian wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik has expressed concern over spinner Varun Chakravarthy's exclusion from India's 15-member squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
Meanwhile, this comes after Chakravarthy's brilliant performance in the first T20I match against England on Wednesday, where he took three wickets.
Notably, Karthik had earlier urged selectors to consider Chakravarthy for the tournament owing to his phenomenal domestic record.
Here's what Karthik had to say.
Squad details
India's spin selection for Champions Trophy
Team India has picked four spinners for the Champions Trophy, including a returning Kuldeep Yadav, who was ruled out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to an injury.
Meanwhile, the squad also includes three finger spinners in Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and a surprise pick in the form of Washington Sundar.
Despite speculation over Chakravarthy's inclusion in the 15-member squad for the tournament starting February 19, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee went for experience over Chakravarthy's recent form.
Post
Here's what Karthik said
Karthik took to social media platform 'X and put across the thought of giving Chakravarthy a place in the Champions Trophy squad.
"Could they've fitted him in ????" he wrote while responding to one of his old tweets which read "If india don't pick VARUN CHAKRAVARTHY for the Champions Trophy , then they are making a grave error."
Twitter Post
A look at the post!
If india don't pick VARUN CHAKRAVARTHY for the Champions Trophy , then they are making a grave error
— DK (@DineshKarthik) November 10, 2024
Outstanding Bowler he is turning out to be #INDvSA #CricketTwitter #Cricket
Performance review
Chakravarthy's impressive domestic and T20I record
Chakravarthy delivered a stellar performance in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, claiming 18 wickets in six matches for Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, his T20I career has also flourished under coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Notably, since rejoining the T20I side, Chakravarthy has emerged as one of India's top wicket-takers, with 17 wickets in seven matches, including a remarkable five-wicket haul last year.
Match impact
Chakravarthy's crucial role vs England and impressive IPL outing
In the recent T20I series opener against England, Chakravarthy was instrumental in getting rid of crucial players like Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, and Harry Brook.
He also sent two English batters packing, in the same over helping India restrict the visitors to 132 runs.
Additionally, his performances in the IPL have been equally phenomenal where he managed 21 scalps at an average of 19.14 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their title-winning campaign last year.