Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik feels that India would be making a "grave" mistake if they don't pick Varun Chakravarthy in the Champions Trophy squad. The 29-year-old Varun continues to go from strength-to-strength in the shortest format of the game, however, he is yet to play an ODI for Team India. The legbreak bowler spun a web around South Africa in the second T20I of the four-match series at St George's Park on Sunday, however, it was not enough for India to seal the contest.

In the second T20I, Varun Chakravarthy returned with five wickets and at one stage, it looked like India would comfortably seal the contest. However, Tristan Stubbs (47*) and Gerald Coetzee (19*) had different plans. Varun first bowled the likes of Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen and David Miller. He also got the key wicket of wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen.

Looking at the performance of Varun, Dinesh Karthik said that the spinner is turning out to be an outstanding bowler, and he should be included in the Champions Trophy squad. It is important to mention that Dinesh Karthik has seen Varun from close quarters while playing for Tamil Nadu.

"If India don't pick VARUN CHAKRAVARTHY for the Champions Trophy , then they are making a grave error. Outstanding Bowler he is turning out to be," Dinesh Karthik wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Varun comes up with sensational performance

In the second T20I against South Africa, Varun Chakravarthy returned with a spell of 5-17 in his quota of four overs. He single-handedly turned the tide of the game. It was only due to Stubbs and Coetzee's effort that South Africa managed to win the match by wickets to level the series at 1-1.

Varun Chakravarthy's spell of 5/17 is also the best figures for a bowler from a full member nation that ended in a defeat in T20Is.

Varun Chakravarthy, who made his T20I debut for India in 2021, found a new lease of life, earlier this year, and he made his way back into the national side, for the T20I series against Bangladesh in October.

In the three-match series against Bangladesh, Varun Chakravarthy returned with five wickets. The spinner has now taken the confidence into the ongoing series against South Africa.

In the first T20I against Proteas in Durban, Varun returned with three wickets, and then in the second match, the 29-year-old took five wickets.

Varun Chakravarthy was also recently retained by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the upcoming IPL mega auction. In 2024, Varun had returned with a total of 21 wickets at an average of 19.14 and economy rate of 8.04.

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