After his standout performance in the recent T20I series against England, the talented mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has joined India's training camp in Nagpur as they gear up for the ODI series against the 2019 world champions. Although he wasn't initially selected for the three-match ODI series, he was spotted bowling in the nets on Tuesday, raising speculation about his potential inclusion in the Champions Trophy squad. Reports suggest that India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is behind this decision, with discussions still ongoing with chief selector Ajit Agarkar regarding the Champions Trophy lineup.

As per a PTI report, Gambhir wanted Chakaravarthy to maintain his momentum and practice against top players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Rishabh Pant in the nets.

Chakaravarthy has been on fire in white-ball cricket lately. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which wrapped up last month, he took 18 wickets in just six innings, making him the second-highest wicket-taker at an impressive average of 12.16. Following that, in the T20I series against England, he claimed 14 wickets in five matches and was named 'Player of The Series.'

He has now officially been added to the ODI squad for the series against England, but reports indicate that if he doesn't make his debut in this contest, he might miss out on the Champions Trophy squad. It's worth noting that the deadline for finalizing the ICC tournament squad is February 12.

'They need to chat with Agarkar'

India's Champions Trophy squad already includes four spinners: left-armers Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, right-arm off-spinner Washington Sundar, and leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who is making a comeback after his sports hernia surgery in October 2024.

According to a PTI report, since Chakaravarthy isn't part of Tamil Nadu's Ranji Trophy team, Gambhir brought him in as a net bowler for the Indian ODI squad.

"Right now, the team management wants Varun to bowl in the nets for the ODI squad ahead of the England series. He doesn't play red-ball cricket," a senior BCCI source shared with PTI on the condition of anonymity. "With the domestic white-ball season wrapped up, he doesn't have any commitments until the IPL kicks off at the end of March. He’s in good form, and they want him to keep that going," the source added.

When asked about the chances of Chakaravarthy making it to the Champions Trophy, the source said: "The selectors have already chosen four spinners, and there are only three ODI matches. If the team management wants Varun, they’ll need to talk to the selection committee chairman, Ajit Agarkar. Whether they plan to do that is still up in the air."

The last time the 33-year-old played in Dubai during the 2021 T20 World Cup, he didn’t make much of an impact on the flat pitches. However, Chakaravarthy has significantly improved since then, focusing on over-spin to enhance his variations. It remains to be seen who he might replace in the final 15 to secure his spot.

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