Spinner Varun Chakravarthy Added to India’s ODI Squad for England Series

Jasprit Bumrah dropped from India’s ODI squad against England, included in only third ODI.

Varun Chakravarthy, who had taken the most wickets in India’s 4-1 victory in the T20I series against England that ended on Sunday, has been added to India’s ODI squad for the ODI series against the same opponent. Varun joined the team in Nagpur for the first ODI and practiced on Tuesday in preparation for the series opener on Thursday.

Although Chakravarthy was not named in India’s Champions Trophy squad, which includes four spinners, his addition to the team trails after his outstanding performance in the shortest format. The 33-year-old player was named “Player of the Series” for taking 14 wickets in five matches including a five-wicket haul, at an average of 9.86 with an economy of 7.66.

Indian mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy is expected to debut in One-Day Internationals in VCA Stadium, Nagpur. this match. He has played only 23 List-A games, and he was also the second-highest wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 with 18 wickets in six matches for Tamil Nadu.

Apart from Varun Chakravarthy, the team also includes Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar to strengthen the spin attack.

Since August last year, this is India’s first 50-over gams and the only series before the upcoming Champions Trophy, and Varun’s inclusion is a significant step for team India. Various specialist bowlers – Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah are on the comeback trail from injuries. While Bumrah will play only the third ODI against England, Harshit Rana is included in the team for the first two games as his replacement.

India can make changes to its Champions Trophy squad until February 12 without the ICC’s approval. It would be interesting to know if Chakravarthy will replace Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, or Kuldeep Yadav in the final squad, which can be announced by February 12.