Aakash Chopra thinks that Kuldeep Yadav, who is India’s top spinner, will take home the Champions Trophy.
For the 2025 Champions Trophy, he has counseled the Indian team management against benching Kuldeep Yadav in favor of Varun Chakravarthy.
On Tuesday, February 11, India revealed their final squad, and Varun was included to replace Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Varun has now joined India’s squad of five spinners for the tournament, which will take place entirely in Dubai.
Chopra took to X after the squad announcement to voice his concerns about Varun replacing Kuldeep in the second ODI in Cuttack.
Chopra added that if needed, India ought to think about playing Varun and Kuldeep together.
He emphasized that Kuldeep should continue to be India’s best spinner in the competition as he concluded his tweet.
India has chosen five spinners to compete in the Champions Trophy. The Spin to Win lineup would be perfect in a place like Sharjah. However, Dubai? I’m not convinced.
The surface has not traditionally favored spinners there. I genuinely hope Varun does not replace Kuldeep.
Kuldeep Yadav has played a major role in India’s victories in the last two ICC tournaments. He became India’s fourth-highest wicket-taker with 15 in 11 games during the 2023 ODI World Cup, which helped the team qualify for the championship match.
Similarly, Kuldeep set his fourth-highest wicket-taking record for India at the 2024 T20 World Cup with 10 wickets in 5 games.
He has performed well as a future spinner and is capable of keeping the team in a strong position.
The 2025 Champions Trophy begins on February 19.
