3 reasons why Varun Chakravarthy should be in India's T20 World Cup squad

Varun Chakravarthy will be a relieved man as the 29-year-old has finally found a place in the Indian team after twice missing out due to injury and fitness concerns. Chakravarthy is one of six Indian spinners traveling to Sri Lanka for a three-match ODI and T20I series, which will start on July 13.

With the Sri Lanka tour being the last limited-overs assignment for India before the T20 World Cup, a lot will be at stake for players like Chakravarthy. This will be the last chance for these players to make case for featuring in the squad for the T20 World Cup.

Third time lucky for Varun Chakravarthy. Must be the happiest of the whole lot. https://t.co/FfJLHXWYvG

— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) June 28, 2021

Varun Chakravarthy has a knack for troubling batsmen, even on docile batting wickets. The tweaker’s inclusion for the T20 World Cup could be a good move given that he surfaces in the UAE are likely to assist spin bowling.

We look at three reasons why Varun Chakravarthy should make the squad for the T20 World Cup.

3) Stellar IPL record

Varun Chakravarthy has an economy under 7.5 in the IPL [Credits BCCI / IPL]

Since plying his trade for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2020, Varun Chakravarthy’s stock has risen exponentially. The off-spinner was the leading wicket-taker for the franchise in the 2020 edition of the tournament, picking up 17 wickets at an economy of below 7.

The wily off-spinner also started the 2021 IPL season on a good note, scalping seven wickets in as many games before the tournament came to an abrupt halt. Chakravarthy’s guile and ability to stifle batsmen in the middle overs makes him a lethal option to have for the T20 World Cup.

Best figures by uncapped Indian players (IPL)5/14 Ankit Rajpoot KXIP v SRH 20185/20 Varun Chakravarthy KKR v DC 20205/27 HARSHAL PATEL RCB v MI 2021 *#MIvsRCB

— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) April 9, 2021

2) The mystery element

Varun Chakravarthy's variations make him a potent weapon [Credits BCCI / IPL]

Varun Chakravarthy has a range of weapons in his bowling armory, ranging from off-break, leg break, googly, carrom ball and flipper. His ability to bamboozle the batsmen with his variations makes him a difficult prospect to face. To add to that, his flatter bowling trajectory makes him a difficult bowler to score off.

The spinner will look to unleash his variations on the upcoming Sri Lanka tour in a bid to book a place in the T20 World Cup squad.

1) Indifferent form of current spinners

Both Chahal and Kuldeep are struggling in white-ball cricket.

India’s two best limited-overs spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, have been struggling for form over the past few months. While Chahal picked up just three wickets at an average of close to 40 against England at home, Yadav last played a T20 for India back in July of 2020.

This is a perfect opportunity for Varun Chakravarthy to prove his mettle in the international arena and stake a claim for his inclusion in the mega event.