India's spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has ignited speculation regarding the Champions Trophy after being seen in Nagpur during the team's training session at the VCA Stadium in preparation for the opening ODI match of the three-match series against England. This ODI series is set to commence on Thursday and serves as India's final preparatory event before the Champions Trophy.

Although Chakaravarthy was not included in the ODI squad for the series against England and was not considered for the Champions Trophy roster, there have been calls for his inclusion following his strong performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy last month. He also delivered an impressive performance in the T20I series against England, where he claimed 14 wickets across five matches.

According to a report from the Times of India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet provided an official statement regarding Chakaravarthy's status, leaving it uncertain whether he has been brought in solely as a net bowler or if he will participate in the matches. The 33-year-old has yet to make his ODI debut for India, having played a total of 23 List A matches for Tamil Nadu, where he has taken 59 wickets at an average of 21.15, including three five-wicket hauls, one of which occurred during the quarter-final against Rajasthan in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Vadodara.

Ashwin backed Varun Chakaravarthy for Champions Trophy

Ravichandran Ashwin, the legendary Indian cricketer who has recently announced his retirement from international cricket, has expressed his support for Chakaravarthy in the context of the upcoming ICC tournament.

"There has been considerable discussion regarding his inclusion in the Champions Trophy squad, and I believe there is a possibility he could be selected," Ashwin remarked on his channel.

The former Indian spinner suggested that Chakaravarthy has a good chance of being included in the squad, especially with the ICC setting February 11 as the deadline for finalizing the Champions Trophy roster.

"I have a sense that he may be included. There is a possibility since all teams have only submitted provisional squads. Therefore, he could be chosen. However, considering the current squad, if a seamer is replaced by Varun, it would result in an additional spinner (totaling five). It remains uncertain who might be excluded if they decide to bring Varun in. We will have to wait and see," he concluded.

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