Suryakumar Yadav backed out-of-form spinner Varun Chakaravarthy ahead of India’s T20 World Cup final against New Zealand, in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Chakaravarthy was exposed during the semifinal victory against England, returning with figures of 1/64 in four overs. Jacob Bethell smacked him for 41 off 13 balls.
He was in good form in the group stage, taking 12 wickets in four matches. But in the Super 8s, he lost his form, and his economy rate increased to 10.16. Despite his poor form, he is still the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 13 wickets from eight matches, at an economy rate of 8.86.
‘Varun’s form is not a concern’: Suryakumar Yadav
Ahead of the final, there has been speculation that Kuldeep Yadav might replace Varun in the playing XI in Ahmedabad. Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar revealed that ‘Varun’s form is not a concern’, without dropping any hint of changes in the playing XI.
“Varun’s form is not a concern. We are not worried about him; it’s a team sport. We are focusing on winning the game. We don’t think about that much; we won the match. He is the world’s No. 1 bowler; he knows how to make this team win. Anyone can have a bad day. When someone has a bad day, the other members step up. Not 11 guys can have a good day. We’ll see tomorrow about the changes,” he said.
Even Mitchell Santner backed Varun in New Zealand’s pre-match press conference. The opposition skipper noted that his team is wary of Varun’s threat, despite Varun’s poor form. Calling him a good bowler, Santner felt that he was only one game away from finding his form again.
Varun’s best figures in this tournament are his 3/7 against Namibia. If he keeps his place in the playing XI, he will look to find his usual consistency again, but it also depends on the surface in Ahmedabad.
