Varun Chakaravarthy has rapidly emerged as one of India's premier bowlers in T20 internationals. During the recent series against South Africa and England, he distinguished himself as India's leading wicket-taker. In the five-match T20I series against England, which India won 4-1, Chakaravarthy claimed 14 wickets, marking the highest tally by an Indian and equaling the record for the most wickets taken by any bowler in a bilateral T20I series. Following his exceptional performance against England, he ascended to the fifth position in the ICC T20I bowler rankings. His impressive statistics and capacity to take wickets during the middle overs, even when batsmen are not aggressively pursuing runs, have led Ravichandran Ashwin to suggest that he could potentially secure a late spot in India's Champions Trophy squad.

India has already announced its 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in Pakistan and the UAE starting February 19, with all matches taking place in Dubai. Chakaravarthy is not included in this squad, which comprises four spin-bowling options: Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar. However, all eight participating teams have the opportunity to modify their provisional squads until the second week of February, and Ashwin is optimistic that Chakaravarthy may find a way to be included in the final lineup.

"We are all discussing whether he should have been included in the Champions Trophy squad; I believe there is a possibility he might still be selected. I have a sense that he could make it. There is a chance since all teams have only announced provisional squads. Therefore, he might be chosen," R. Ashwin remarked on his channel.

"However, considering the current squad, if a seamer were to be replaced by Varun, it would result in an additional spinner (five in total). I am uncertain about who they would prefer to drop if they decide to include Varun. We will have to wait and see," he added.

'Varun Chakaravarthy might get a chance against England': Ashwin

The same 15-member team is set to compete against England in a three-match ODI series commencing on February 6. Ashwin has indicated that this series will present a valuable opportunity for the selection committee to evaluate Chakaravarthy's capabilities in the 50-over format, in which he has yet to make his international debut, despite having impressive domestic statistics—he secured 18 wickets in just 6 matches at an average of 12.72 during last year's Vijay Hazare Trophy.

"I believe Varun may have the opportunity to participate in the ODI series between India and England. However, I do not think it would be prudent to select him directly for the Champions Trophy without prior ODI experience. I suspect they will provide him with a chance in the India vs England ODI series," Ashwin remarked.

"If he is not given an opportunity here, it will be challenging for him. Nonetheless, I extend my congratulations to Varun for receiving his first Player of the Tournament award. He is currently the standout performer in T20I cricket. I hope he continues to develop and excel," he concluded.

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