Varun Chakaravarthy gives India selection headache for CT semi against Australia
India captain Rohit Sharma has confirmed that team selections for their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final clash with Australia will be based on match-up strategies, as the team looks to maximize its advantage in Dubai’s spin-friendly conditions.
A standout performance in India’s recent win over New Zealand has given selectors a new dilemma—whether to stick with Varun Chakravarthy, who delivered a match-winning five-wicket haul in just his second ODI.
Chakravarthy’s breakthrough performance
At 33, Chakravarthy stunned New Zealand with figures of 5/42 in 10 overs, making an immediate impact in his first appearance of the tournament. He replaced Harshit Rana as India leaned further into their spin-heavy approach, bowling 37 of 45.3 overs with slow bowlers.
His performance makes him a difficult omission for the knockout match, especially with Dubai’s pitches consistently favoring spin throughout the tournament.
“We just wanted to try and see what (Chakravarthy) can offer,” Rohit said post-match. “He’s got something different about him, there’s no doubt about it. If he gets it right, it’s very difficult to read him. We’ve got to think about what we want to do in the next game, but obviously, it’s a good headache to have.”
India’s confidence soars ahead of semi-final
India enters the semi-final undefeated, having won all three group-stage games with a dominant bowling attack. Rohit emphasized the importance of carrying this momentum into the next phase.
“(New Zealand) have been playing really good cricket recently, so it was important for us to get that result,” he said. “We had confidence in our bowling to defend the total, and the bowlers really stepped up.”
Ravi Shastri among others praised Chakravarthy's performance, with many seeing this as a potential headache for India before the semi-final in terms of playing XI.
India’s next challenge is a familiar one—Australia, a team with a history of thriving in ICC tournament knockouts.
“There will be no complacency from us,” Rohit assured. “Australia has a rich history in ICC tournaments. It’s about what we want to do against them and executing our plans right. It’s going to be a great contest.”
With Dubai’s conditions favoring India’s spinners, Australia will need to adapt quickly as they look to overcome one of the tournament’s most dominant teams in a high-pressure semi-final showdown.