Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin believes that mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy was a crucial element in the Champions Trophy, stating that his contributions played a significant role in the team led by Rohit Sharma winning the title. Although Chakravarthy did not participate in the entire tournament, he capitalized on the support provided by captain Rohit and head coach Gautam Gambhir. Notably, Chakravarthy was not included in India’s original Champions Trophy roster but was added after showcasing his talent in the white-ball series against England.
Rachin Ravindra from New Zealand received the ‘Player of the Tournament’ title, but Ashwin proposed that Chakravarthy deserved the honor more.
“Whatever said and done, the Player of the Tournament, in my view, was Varun Chakaravarthy. He didn’t play the entire tournament. He was such a big difference. If Varun Chakaravarthy wasn’t there, I think this game would have been very different. He brought that X-factor and the novelty factor. If I were the judge, I would have given it to Varun. He was the biggest difference,” Ashwin said on his Hindi YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
Ashwin expressed admiration for Chakravarthy’s delivery that led to the dismissal of Glenn Phillips.
“Just look at how he dismissed Glenn Phillips. He wasn’t covering the stumps, so Varun went wide of the crease and bowled that googly. In my view, Varun has to be the Player of the Series. The award should be given to someone who made the biggest difference. Varun Chakaravarthy deserves the Player of the Series award,” he added.
Ashwin attributed India’s victory in the Champions Trophy to the performance of the bowlers, praising their efforts in limiting New Zealand to a score of 251/7 in the final match.
“I am so happy for Rohit and Gautam Gambhir. Just spare a thought for GG. What must he be going through? Losing Test series against New Zealand, you have been losing a few. But you made a remarkable decision. There was no Jasprit Bumrah. Remarkably, this Indian team won the Champions Trophy without Bumrah. What does it tell you? Where does it leave Indian cricket? I am so happy. I think the world will take some time to catch up with Indian cricket,” he said.
Following the conclusion of the tournament, Chakravarthy, who finished as the second leading wicket-taker, acknowledged that he did not anticipate his performance to unfold in this manner.
“I didn’t expect to turn out like this, a dream come true. The spin was less in the first innings, and I had to be disciplined, just stick to the basics,” Chakravarthy told the broadcasters after the match.
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