Chakravarthy’s performance may have created selection dilemma heading into semifinals: Rayudu

A commanding five-wicket haul by Champions Trophy debutant, Varun Chakravarthy, helped India secure a 44-run victory against New Zealand in their final group stage match and progress to the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy semifinals.

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However, Chakravarthy’s emerging image as a perfectionist did not come overnight, believed former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu, who shared his insights exclusively on JioHotstar during the post-match discussion.

“He was great today. Early in his career, he was not very consistent with his lines and lengths. But now, his bowling makes him a very difficult bowler to face. His action naturally makes it look like he’s delivering left-arm spin, but 90 per cent of his deliveries are googlies, making it tough for batsmen who haven’t faced him before,” said Rayudu.

Rayudu further said, “I don’t think many New Zealand batsmen have played against Chakravarthy much, and he will only continue to improve for India. His impressive performance might have created a selection dilemma heading into the semifinals. India will have a tough time deciding, with so many big players to choose from, but Chakravarthy has been brilliant. We’ve seen his impact in India, and all the spinners were outstanding today—Jadeja was amazing, and all four spinners bowled exceptionally well. The pitch definitely assisted them, but New Zealand’s batsmen also struggled against spin, which is an area they will need to improve.”

Coming back to India’s performance against the Kiwis, Rayudu also spoke about Shreyas Iyer’s performance.

“The importance of a No. 4 batsman is evident. You need someone to play such crucial innings when the top order fails, especially on challenging surfaces that are not easy to bat on. That’s where No. 4 and No. 5 become critical in an ODI game. Shreyas played an amazing innings, and his partnership with Axar Patel was crucial. The ease with which he batted on this pitch was remarkable. Patel handled short balls well until he got out and played spin beautifully, using the crease and angles to his advantage. He picked the pace of the ball much better than many others in the Indian lineup. It was an unbelievable knock, and he’s been a champion at No. 4. We don’t talk about him enough, but he has had a great impact on this Indian side.”

Looking ahead to the semifinal clash against Australia, Rayudu highlighted a key battle to watch out for.

“It’s going to be Adam Zampa versus Virat Kohli,” he said.

“Virat has struggled a bit against leg-spinners lately, but the kind of form he has shown in this tournament will serve him well against Australia,” Rayudu added.