
NEW DELHI: The spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy will be eagerly awaiting the selectors’ call as India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025, scheduled from September 9, is set to be announced. Both would be keen to get their hands on leather and rattle the opposition.The two spinners come into the tournament with different recent history.
Kuldeep spent the entire tour of England on the bench. Carrying drinks, passing on messages from the coaching staff, and quietly watching his teammates from the dressing room was all the chinaman managed over five Tests.Now, with the Asia Cup squad to be revealed on Tuesday (August 19), Kuldeep will be hoping to don the India blues, even if he didn’t get the chance to wear the whites.The 30-year-old last featured in a T20I in the 2024 T20 World Cup, where he picked up 10 wickets in five matches. Overall, Kuldeep has played 40 T20Is, claiming 69 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls.Known for his deceptive wrong ’uns and sharp flippers, he remains a potent threat to batters, especially in UAE’s spin-friendly conditions.While Kuldeep hasn’t played a T20I in the UAE, he has featured in ODIs there. He was also part of India’s victorious squads in the 2018 and 2023 editions of the Asia Cup (both in the ODI format).
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Varun Chakravarthy, meanwhile, has been in excellent form since making his international return last year.The 33-year-old mystery spinner, armed with nine different variations, has already produced match-winning spells, including two five-wicket hauls in T20Is and another in ODIs during India’s ICC Champions Trophy triumph.In his short T20I career so far, he has bagged 33 wickets in 18 matches.
Player | Matches | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kuldeep Yadav | 40 | 69 | 5/17 | 5/17 | 14.07 | 6.77 | 12.4 | 1 | 2 |
Varun Chakravarthy | 18 | 33 | 5/17 | 5/17 | 14.57 | 7.02 | 12.4 | 0 | 2 |
Kuldeep’s coach Kapil Pandey believes both bowlers are primed to shine at the Asia Cup and could form a dangerous partnership with Varun.“Every cricketer feels upset if he doesn’t get a chance. Kuldeep was sad too. But I told him — whatever has gone is gone, it’s time to look forward. He is really looking forward to a chance in the Asia Cup. He is hungry for wickets. India will benefit hugely from Kuldeep. And if he forms a combo with Varun, then the opposition will have a tough time. Varun is a solid bowler. They both complement each other when on the field,” Kapil told TimesofIndia.com.“Opposition teams were scared of Kuldeep, and now they are scared of Varun too. If India play Pakistan, it will be a night to remember. These two guys will completely outfox them. They will not give them time to think. Kuldeep is very hungry right now,” the coach added.India have been placed in Group A alongside Oman, hosts UAE, and arch-rivals Pakistan. Group B consists of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka.With the Asia Cup followed by the 2026 T20 World Cup, the tournament provides both Kuldeep and Varun with the perfect opportunity to stake their claim for long-term spots in India’s T20I setup.