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Lalchand Rajput believes Varun Chakaravarthy and India’s spin unit will play a crucial role in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand in Dubai.
Varun Chakaravarthy has picked up seven wickets in two games in the Champions Trophy 2025. (BCCI Photo)
The former cricketer-turned-coach Lalchand Rajput feels that Varun Chakaravarthy and the Indian spin unit will have a significant role to play in the upcoming contest between India and New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final to be played in Dubai on Sunday.
Rajput reckons that some of New Zealand’s IPL stars will have some familiarity in facing Chakaravarthy, but the pressure will be on the Kiwis who he thinks will be at risk of losing their wicket should they try and take on the mystery spinner.
“It will be a good contest, to be very honest, because as we all know, he is a mystery spinner. But New Zealand players have played him in the IPL as well, like Conway, then Rachin Ravindra and even Williamson. So, they have a little bit of an idea of how he bowls. But in a big match like this, he is definitely a mystery spinner because if you try to take him on, you are bound to get out at some stage or another,” said Rajput in an interview with IANS.
Chakaravarthy, despite playing only two games, has amassed seven wickets in total. But Rajput also feels that the likes of Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav can also help put the Kiwis in check.
“Then we have got two left-arm spinners (Axar and Jadeja) who really bowl tight. They will just keep the batsmen tight under pressure, and then when that happens, they try to take on other bowlers, and that’s where we get wickets. So, that’s the area where I think we are really one step ahead than other teams,” he commented.
Comparing both the spin attacks, Rajput reckons that India by far has the upper hand when it comes to the spin department. He acknowledged that Santner is a world-class bowler, but the pressure might be too much on the southpaw to get things right.
“Santner is one of the best spinners they have, that’s for sure. Ravindra bowls, and Bracewell is also there. But I think our batsmen take him on as, again, the matchup starts, because some batsmen will take like Shreyas Iyer and all those, they take Bracewell on. Santner, I think, Axar Patel, he takes him on,” he shared.
“I still feel that our bowling spinners have got much edge over their bowling. Yes, they have got a world-class bowler in Santner. But it depends too much on him because there’s so much pressure on him than our bowlers because we have got four spinners to bowl at,” he commented.
“So, that will be a plus point for Indian spinners that we will be one step ahead of them because to negotiate four spinners on that pitch where it is a little bit on the slower side, it will be difficult for the batsmen,” he added.
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- Location :
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
