Champions Trophy: Gambhir reveals why Varun Chakaravarthy replaced Jaiswal in final India squad
Champions Trophy: Jaiswal was included in the ODI squad against England, while Chakaravarthy was added at the last minute after his 14-wicket Player of the Series show against England T20Is. Cricket Sports
India coach Gautam Gambhir has explained the reasoning behind replacing batter Yashasvi Jaiswal with spinner Varun Chakaravarthy in the Champions Trophy squad. The replacement came on the last day of the squad deadline on Feb 11, a day before India's final ODI against England on Feb 12.
Jaiswal was included in the ODI squad against England, while Chakaravarthy was added at the last minute after his 14-wicket Player of the Series show against England in the T20Is series.
"Look, the only reason was because we wanted another wicket-taking option in the middle. We know what Varun brings to the table and know that Varun can be a massive threat to a lot of teams who haven't played him. He could be an X-factor as well," Gambhir said after completing 3-0 whitewash against England in Ahmedabad on Feb 12.
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"I'm not going to say that he's going to start and all that stuff, but it's always good to have a strong bowling line-up because we know that if he can actually get those wickets in the middle, it's always going to be an advantage, and that was one of the reasons. Otherwise, we know that Yashasvi has got a fabulous future ahead. It's just that we could only pick 15," he added.
Gambhir opens up on Bumrah's absence
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Bumrah's scans revealed no major hindrance, but India decided not to rush him to international cricket. The pacer last played in Sydney Test against Australia in early January when he picked up a back injury.
“If he’s (Bumrah) injured, he’s injured, whether it’s me, whether it’s the captain, we can’t do much about it," Gambhir said.
“Obviously, we know that he’s an important factor. But as I mentioned, people like Harshit (Rana), Arshdeep (Singh), Mohammed Shami, all these guys will put their hands up. It’s a great opportunity for them to try and deliver for the country," he added.
