Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked Varun Chakravarthy as the 2025 Champions Trophy Player of the Tournament award after India’s triumph. Chakravarthy was added to India’s final squad for the eight-team tournament, replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal in the last 15.
The mystery spinner was not backed in the first two matches against Bangladesh and Pakistan but got a chance in the playing XI in the last group stage game against New Zealand. The 33-year-old was able to hit the ground running, returning with 5-42 in the second ODI of his career.
Chakravarthy bagged a total of nine wickets (second-highest in the tournament) in three matches at an impressive average of 15.17 but Rachin Ravindra was awarded Player of the Tournament for scoring 263 runs in four games.
The KKR spinner also returned with figures of 2-45 in the 10 overs he bowled against New Zealand in the summit clash, accounting for Will Young and dangerous Glenn Phillips.
“Whatever said and done, I think the player of the tournament, in my view, I would go for Varun Chakaravarthy. He did not play the whole tournament, but he was such a huge difference. If he was not there in the final, I think this game would have been very very different,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin added the trio of Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kuldeep Yadav should be Indian selectors’ first preferences for the T20 World Cup 2026.
“Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kuldeep Yadav should be the first names on the team sheet for the 2026 T20 World Cup, write it now itself, the discussion is over. You cannot leave them out at any cost. That is one hell of a bowling attack to defend your T20 World Cup title,” he added.
On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer scored a crucial knock of 48 runs off 62 balls but Ashwin said he would have loved to see the Mumbai batter finish off the game.
“I would have loved to see Shreyas Iyer finish the game. We should remember him as someone who played Virat Kohli’s role of finishing a chase. I am not suggesting that Iyer is a legend or Kohli’s replacement, please do not misinterpret. The way Iyer is batting, it makes sense for him to cross the line by himself,” Ashwin said.
Ashwin will play for CSK in the upcoming IPL.
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