ICC Champions Trophy: Has Varun Chakravarthy secured his spot for the semis?

The selection of Varun Chakravarthy has ruffled many feathers every time it's announced in the recent past. Yet, the spinner has stunned with his turn-up every time he has got the chance, the most recent being his ICC Champions Trophy debut. Varun Chakravarthy, often seen as one of the key culprits behind India's forgettable run at the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup in Dubai, is on a redemption arc. The arc, meanwhile, came full circle when the same Dubai bore witness to his spin brilliance against the formidable Kiwis. In a match where the batting order bundled up below 250, Chakravarthy picked a fifer to dismantle New Zealand in the chase. As India won the last group stage match by 44 runs, Chakravarthy emerged as the key prospect India would like to count on in the upcoming semi-final.

Varun Chakravarthy could be the key India needs against Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final

Varun Chakravarthy has marked an impactful path up to the Champions Trophy. His exploits in the India vs England T20I series, which included a fifer in Rajkot, accelerated his debut in the ODIs. Moreover, Chakravarthy's spin, carrying the mystery that even the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma couldn't decipher in the nets, continued to stun the opponents. His form, a growing menace for the opponents, urged the Indian management to add the spinner to the India squad for the ICC Champions Trophy. The move to remove Yashasvi Jaiswal, the only backup opener in the squad, to make space for Chakravarthy irked many. However, their doubts stand clear with Varun stunning yet again.

India fared exceptionally well in the group stage of the Champions Trophy. Scheduled to play every match in Dubai, the Men in Blue were quick to cement their spot in the semis. A six-wicket win over Bangladesh and subsequently against arch-rivals Pakistan propelled the in-form team into the semi-finals. With India and New Zealand both confirming their berths in the next stage, the India vs New Zealand match-up didn't have high stakes relying on it. However, it was still a scene for the eager fans to gauge how India would fare against an equal opponent.

The opening innings put the Men in Blue under pressure after Mitchell Santner opted to bowl first on the Dubai turf. The in-form opener, Shubman Gill, departed cheaply against Matt Henry, who ended up picking a fifer. Virat Kohli, who hit a century in just his last outing, fell victim to the supernatural flying abilities of Glenn Phillips. With Shreyas Iyer playing a gritty half-century knock, India managed to set a 249-run total against the Kiwis. The first innings presented India as the second-place prospect in Group A, though the fans were merely disappointed because the defeat here would have meant avoiding Australia in the semi-finals.

However, Varun Chakravarthy led the charge in the chase to ensure India reached the semis undefeated. With only 249 to defend, Chakravarthy tangled the Kiwis in his spin web as a plethora of variations were thrown into the attack. Apart from Rachin Ravindra, all the wickets fell against a spinner, as India's plan to play with four spinners in the fixture appeared to be a well-calculated decision. However, it was Chakravarthy who dazzled the most on his ICC Champions Trophy debut. The spinner clicked a fifer, in which he dismissed the in-form opener Will Young and Glenn Phillips.

Chakravarthy's selection ahead of Harshit Rana in the India vs New Zealand match initially seemed risky. However, following India's 44-run victory in Dubai, it's a common question whether India would play four spinners against Australia as well. The India vs Australia semi-final is scheduled to be played on a used pitch, a condition that would highly favor the spinners. Moreover, Chakravarthy's form could be the key that India needs to counter the Australian batters. Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, didn't reveal his plans but expressed that it's a good headache to have now that the spinner has proved his form ahead of the knockout game.

“We just wanted to see what (Chakravarthy) can offer,” Rohit Sharma said after the India vs New Zealand match. “He’s got something different, no doubt about it. Varun was class today. When he gets it right, he’s very difficult to read. We’ll have to think about what we want to do in the next game (against Australia). Obviously, it’s a good headache to have," he added.