In recent times, visiting spinners have done better than Indian spinners at home across all formats. This growing trend has become a major concern for India. The second ODI between India and New Zealand clearly showed this problem.

New Zealand’s spinners, Michael Bracewell and debutant Jayden Lennox, outperformed India’s bowlers and played a big role in winning the match. Bowling at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, the pair kept things tight during the middle overs and returned figures of 2 for 76 from 20 overs.

On the other hand, Kuldeep Yadav leaked more runs than the two New Zealand spinners combined, even after completing his full spell. It turned out to be one of his most expensive outings in ODI cricket. Ravindra Jadeja also had a difficult day, as he failed to take a wicket and gave away 44 runs in eight overs.

Batters Daryl Mitchell and Will Young handled the Indian spin attack with ease. They rotated strike comfortably and found boundaries regularly, building a strong partnership and taking control of the middle phase of the innings.

Keeping this in mind, here are three reasons why Varun Chakaravarthy deserves a return to India’s ODI side.

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1. India needs a strong wicket-taking bowler in the middle overs

India has always been known as a dangerous bowling team in the middle overs, mainly because of their spinners. In the past, Indian spinners created pressure, stopped runs, and took wickets regularly. However, in recent times, this has not happened often.

Kuldeep Yadav has played a lot of cricket across formats, which has increased his workload. Ravindra Jadeja, on the other hand, has mostly played a defensive role and his wicket-taking ability has dropped. Other spinners like Axar Patel and Washington Sundar help control runs, but India needs more impact in terms of wickets.

India’s best middle-over performances came when Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal played together. Both wrist spinners worked well as a pair and took wickets consistently with their variations.

Bringing Varun Chakaravarthy back could help India form another strong spin pair. He is used to bowling alongside Kuldeep Yadav in white-ball cricket, and together they could become match winners in the long run.

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2. Harshit Rana’s rise and Ravindra Jadeja’s decline

In ODI cricket, India usually prefers a deep batting line-up till No.8 or No.9, along with at least three spin options. At present, Kuldeep Yadav is the main specialist spinner, while others are spin all-rounders.

With Harshit Rana improving with both bat and ball, he could soon take up the No.8 spot. If that happens, India may not need an extra spin all-rounder and can instead pick Varun Chakaravarthy to strengthen their bowling.

Axar Patel remains important because of his left-arm spin and his ability to bat up the order. This leaves Ravindra Jadeja, who has not made a big impact in ODIs for some time. He has struggled to score runs in the middle order and has not been effective as a finisher.

Jadeja has taken only one wicket in his last five ODIs. This could be a sign for the selectors to rethink India’s spin options.

3. Varun Chakaravarthy showed promise in his short ODI career

Varun Chakaravarthy’s first ODI call-up in early 2025 was questioned by many, as most people felt his bowling was better suited for T20 cricket. However, he had a decent debut against England and followed it up with a strong performance in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

In subcontinent conditions, Chakaravarthy troubled batters regularly. In four ODIs, he went for more than five runs per over only once and picked up 10 wickets at an average of 19. Before that, he took 18 wickets in six matches during the 2024–25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, proving his value in 50-over cricket.

The long gap after the Champions Trophy affected his momentum. India’s next ODI series was in Australia, where spinners were not a priority. As a result, he missed out on series against South Africa and New Zealand.

With India’s current spinners struggling to take wickets, the selectors need a proven option. Varun Chakaravarthy stands out as a strong choice to fix India’s middle-over bowling issues.