Former England great Michael Atherton has said that if the pitch does not provide any help to Varun Chakraborty then he is useless. He also supported the idea of India bringing in Kuldeep Yadav as his replacement before the final.
India has reached the final of the ICC T20 World Cup and is the first team to do so as the defending champions of the competition. So, after this big milestone, more is expected from the Men in Blue as they take on the White Ferns at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
India had lost its previous final at this venue; Hence, he will be looking to tighten all his screws before stepping onto the big stage. Varun Chakravarthy and Abhishek, who were once assets for India in T20Is, are now out of form.
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The England great criticized Varun Chakraborty after his disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup.
Former England great Michael Atherton has revealed that Team India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy is completely lacking form, especially after India qualified for the Super 8s. He is currently India’s leading wicket-taker in the competition with 13 wickets.
However, it is noteworthy that nine of those 13 wickets came in the group stage and only 4 wickets have come in their last four matches, including a game against Zimbabwe and their second home ground clash at the Eden Gardens.
Recently, Varun Chakravarthy’s economy has reached 8.85, and he has recorded the worst figures by any Indian bowler in the history of the tournament, as he bowled 1/64 in his 4 overs against England in the World Cup semi-final.
“He has a very good reputation in T20s. He took a lot of wickets in the group stages, but from the Super 8 onwards he really struggled and was worn down by England,” he said.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the T20 World Cup final, Atherton claimed, “If the pitch doesn’t spin or hold for him, he just looks a bit pedestrian. He’s not taking the ball straight to the side, and certainly, he’s got a good pace to hit.”
Michael Atherton demanded a change in India’s playing eleven, saying, “They’ve got Kuldeep Yadav.”
The cricketer turned commentator also talked about the prospects of the second spinner in the Indian team, Kuldeep Yadav, who has not been given much chances in this tournament.
His only performance was against Pakistan when India played at R.K. Colombo, Colombo. Played with three spinners on the Premadasa Stadium pitch. He bowled three overs, giving only 14 runs and taking one wicket of Mohammad Nawaz.
“They may think about changes. They have left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav whom they can bring in. It would be unusual for a team to make big changes in the final. Once you get to the final, you stick with the players who got you there. But there is no doubt that they can make changes,” he said.
Nasser Hussain blocks changes to India’s combination ahead of final
Another former England great, Nasser Hussain, has boldly predicted that not much spin will be expected at the Narendra Modi Stadium, which clearly means that Abhishek Sharma can take the lead if he handles the off-spin threat wisely.
During the same discussion with Sky Sports, Hussain said, “Not for the big games. I certainly wouldn’t change the opener in Abhishek Sharma because he’s someone who can have a great evening if he can get a handle on the off-spin; that’s been his nemesis.”
“But maybe Kuldeep, because I don’t think this pitch is going to spin,” the former English captain said.
Also read: India’s playing eleven announced for T20 World Cup 2026 final, Abhishek Sharma’s fate sealed
