T20 WC 2021 | I’d pick Varun Charavarthy as India’s first-choice spinner at T20 World Cup, states Deep Dasgupta

10/04/2021

Deep Dasgupta is of the opinion that Varun Chakravarthy should feature in India’s first-choice XI at the T20 World Cup as the lead spinner, alongside all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Chakravarthy has picked up 15 wickets from 12 games at IPL 2021 while maintaining an excellent economy of 6.73.

Varun Chakravarthy would be one of India’s five spin bowling options at the T20 World Cup beginning next month, alongside Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar and Axar Patel. The 30-year-old had earned a maiden India call up for the 2020/21 Australia tour after an impressive run at the preceding IPL 2020, but was sidelined with a shoulder injury.

He finally made his T20I debut during the Sri Lanka tour in July and returned with two wickets from three matches while maintaining an economy of 5.3. He has carried his form to the IPL second leg, which has helped Kolkata Knight Riders with a great chance to qualify for the play-offs, after they’d lost five of the seven games in season’s first half.

Deep Dasgupta feels that Chakravarthy should be India’s first-choice spinner at the T20 World Cup, based on his current form.

“For me, if you are picking one spinner apart from (Ravindra) Jadeja, who will play as an all-rounder, my number one spinner at this point in time is Varun Chakravarthy,” the former India wicketkeeper said during a discussion on ESPN Cricinfo.

“My only concern is his fitness. He has struggled in the last six-eight months with his fitness - knee, shoulder. I just hope he is fit enough and raring to go. But at this point of time, he is my first spinner to go on that list,” he added.

India will begin their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign with a Super-12 Group 2 fixture against arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai on October 24.