
Varun Chakravarthy, on a fine run of form in T20Is, has been squeezed into the ODI squad for the India series. Here’s a look at his List A numbers so far.
Has Varun played ODIs before?
Not yet. This is technically his maiden ODI call-up, but he was part of the extended white-ball squads sent to Sri Lanka for the ODI & T20I series in 2021. During the Covid-19 pandemic, India decided to send an expanded unit, to factor in absences due to quarantine, in case of a positive test result.
He ended up playing only the three T20Is, his debut international series, but he didn't feature in the ODI leg of the tour.
What do his List A numbers look like?
Overall, Varun’s List A numbers are spectacular. In 23 matches, he’s taken 59 wickets at 14.13, including four five-wicket hauls and twice taking a career-best 5-9.
All of those matches have come for Tamil Nadu in the Vijay Hazare Trophy across three separate editions: 2018/19, 2023/24 and 2024/25. Between October 2018 and November 2023, he did not play a single List A game.
In the latest edition, which ended in January this year, he ended as the second-highest wicket-taker behind Arshdeep Singh, taking 18 wickets at 12.16. The economy, 4.36, was the best among the top ten wicket-takers of the season. It included his career-best 5-9 against Mizoram, one of the weaker teams in the competition. (they did not win a single game out of six).
Later, in the pre-quarter final, he took 9-0-52-5, but Rajasthan ended up winning the game.
Varun Chakravarthy against each opposition in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25
Opposition | Table position | Figures | Result |
Rajasthan | (Pre-quarters) | 9-0-52-5 | Lost |
Chhattisgarh | 4th | 10-2-34-3 | Won |
Mizoram | 7th | 10-0-9-5 | Won |
Vidarbha | 1st | 10-0-49-1 | Lost |
J&K | 6th | 9-0-39-2 | Won |
UP | 3rd | 6.5-0-36-2 | Won |
His other two five-fours came against the winless Nagaland, taking 5-3-9-5 in the 2023/24 season, as well as in 2018/19 against Services, who finished third in their group.