Shikhar Dhawan says it was a masterstroke to bring in Varun Chakravarthy for Champions Trophy 2025

Shikhar Dhawan, a former India opener and ambassador for the 2025 Champions Trophy, has praised the decision to include mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy in the starting lineup as a “masterstroke.”

India used a three-spin-two-pace strategy for their matches against Bangladesh and Pakistan, and Chakravarthy, one of the five spinners in their 15-man squad, was left out of the starting lineup. But when Chakravarthy took Harshit Rana’s place against New Zealand, he immediately made an impression with a Player-of-the-Match goal. After that, he took two wickets as India defeated Australia in the semifinals.

As told to ICC:

Throughout the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, India has played excellent cricket, and in my view, a pivotal event occurred when they switched players halfway through the tournament.

I think the captain and coaches made a wise decision by bringing in Varun Chakravarthy, an extra spinner, which has changed the game.

India is now a more well-rounded team thanks to him, particularly on slow and turning surfaces. India has a significant advantage because it is quite difficult to pick the ball out of Varun’s hand, which is why they have begun to dominate more.

Virat Kohli once again displayed his class in the semi-final victory over Australia, which was an outstanding effort. He was the game’s owner and utilised all of his skills to help his nation win.

Mohammed Shami, who has returned to international cricket following an injury, has also been a crucial figure.

There is always pressure when competing in a major event like this, and you need your seasoned players to handle it, which he has done.

He was working out when I met him there, and his dedication to the game and level of discipline are remarkable. You deserve results after working so hard.

The fact that the entire team, not just one or two people, is performing effectively, however, has been the most impressive development.

KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, and Shreyas Iyer have all been playing fantastic cricket.

The team must work as a unit and perform effectively in order to win the Champions Trophy. The entire team must stand up and perform, as India has done throughout, in order to win a game but not a trophy.

As they had to in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence, everyone is doing a good job in their roles.

It’s incredible that India made it to the final of such a fiercely contested event without Bumrah, the finest bowler in the world.

The spinners have truly ruled, and others have taken his position. India has gained an advantage as a result.

Given how good New Zealand is as a squad, the final should be a tremendous contest. Mitchell Santer, their captain, has been a superb player for many years, and their own spinners have performed admirably.

He consistently contributes with both bat and ball, and his ability to change pace makes him a very smart cricket player.

I’ve played cricket with Kane Williamson before, and he’s still a fantastic batsman. His versatility on the field, his ability to absorb pressure, and his technique are all outstanding. He is very consistent because of this.

He takes his time, plays near his body, and makes enormous runs. Rachin Ravindra is another important wicket, so we must keep an eye out for him and make sure we get him out early.

It is significant to score two hundreds in a single event, because to do so demonstrates a great deal of skill, mental toughness, and belief. To perform at the international level, one needs all of those attributes.

I recall the anxiety and anticipation I experienced before my two appearances in the Champions Trophy finals, in 2013 and 2017. Although I was thrilled, I wanted to make sure I got enough sleep in order to be rested for the game when we had our team meetings to go over our strategies.

There is excitement because you know it’s a big day and you truly want to win the trophy, but you also need to keep your composure, stay in the present, and avoid looking too far ahead. All we needed to do was play the ball and concentrate on the fundamentals.

For us, winning the Champions Trophy would be a huge accomplishment that would be celebrated widely.

Everyone in my group is talking about the Champions Trophy final, and I can see it everywhere.

I’ve received requests for tickets, and people are organising to watch the game together at home because it will be broadcast worldwide.

Everyone in India is anticipating India’s victory so they can celebrate on this momentous day. If we win, the sky will be colourful and there will be a lot of firecrackers going off.

In my opinion, India will prevail. Varun Chakravarthy will be crucial, but I think India’s spinners will be too powerful for New Zealand’s hitters, who will struggle to get hold of him.

The squad as a whole is playing excellent cricket, and our batting unit is performing quite well. I hope and believe that this trend will continue.