Varun Chakravarthy Makes ODI Debut, Second Oldest Indian to Achieve the Feat

Varun Chakravarthy donned the India ODI jersey for the first time in the match against England in Cuttack on Sunday, becoming the second-oldest Indian player to debut in the format. At 33 years and 164 days old, Chakravarthy trails only Farokh Engineer, who debuted at 36 years and 138 days, on the list of oldest Indian ODI debutants. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner made an immediate mark, taking the wicket of Phil Salt in his very first spell.  

Chakravarthy’s impressive performance in the recent T20I series against England, where he bagged 14 wickets in five matches and earned the ‘Player of the Series’ award, has put him in contention for a spot in the Champions Trophy squad. He could potentially replace one of the four specialist spinners currently in the squad, with Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar being the most likely candidates. His inclusion in the final squad will depend heavily on his performance in the ongoing ODI series.  

While the BCCI announcement included Chakravarthy’s name, it omitted Jasprit Bumrah’s. This was anticipated, as selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar had previously stated that Bumrah would miss the first two ODIs.

His participation in the third ODI hinges on medical clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Chakravarthy, despite his T20I heroics, was initially excluded from both the ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy squad.   Sources and related content