India’s mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, experienced an incredible time with the ball in the last few years, especially in the shortest format. He was incredible with the ball in the middle overs and the powerplay for the national side in the shortest format of the game. In 24 innings, he has collected 40 wickets at an average of 15.60 and an economy rate of under seven.

The Indian spinner looked back at the time when Abhishek Nayar, with contributions from Dinesh Karthik, brough him back the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL. The latter also called him to come Mumbai and go through a session for three continuous months.

See Also: "Gary and MS made it..."- Virat Kohli recalls advice from World Cup-winning captain and coach amid retirement speculation

“We are looking to pick, and he (Abhishek Nayar) told me. Obviously, DK (Dinesh Karthik) had a huge role in that. They are the ones who brought me back to KKR. The day after the auction, Nayar called me and asked me to come in Mumbai. He got me a room next to his house. So, me, Rahul Tripathi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Nikhil Naik, and Prasidh Krishna used to live in a small apartment.”

Watch: Varun Chakvarthy reveals Abhishek Nayar’s contribution in his comeback to cricket

The Tamil Nadu spinner played a massive role for Kolkata in the last three years. Since the start of IPL 2022, he has picked up 58 wickets in 42 innings at an average of around 20 and an economy rate of nearly eight with the best figures of 4/15.

Varun chakravarthy on Abhishek Nayar 💜 pic.twitter.com/2yfWhPbQmN

— Ashish Shrivastava (@ashishayush1177) October 16, 2025

“We had to do all of our staffs day in and out for three months non-stop. In the morning, we had gym, and in the evening, we had to make dinner. Nayar also made us doing the Bollywood dance. He told me that we hadn’t have any movement. I think what he had in his mind was to be around the cricketers and know how they work.” The Karnataka-born addressed.

“Then I saw how Tripathi, Nagarkoti, and other used to wake up in the morning and go to gym. That was when I realized that there was some method to all this madness. I can’t sustain my career if I am not into this. There were sessions when he used us to visualize what would I say if I get the player of the match award.” Varun Chakravarthy shed light.

Varun Chakravarthy's selection into the Champions Trophy 2025 squad was a surprising move by the team management. By the time of the squad announcement, the spinner had no experience playing in the One Day International format. Then how did he make his way into the team? 

Months after winning the prestigious tournament, Chakravarthy revealed the surprising selection. During the CEAT Cricket Awards ceremony in Mumbai, he said that it was Rohit Sharma, then the ODI captain of India, who recognized him for the 50-over tournament. On the stage of the program, the 34-year-old especially thanked the former captain for showing trust in him for the crucial assignment. 

"I didn't expect to be in the Champions Trophy squad, but thanks to Rohit Bhai (Rohit Sharma) and the coaching staff," Varun Chakravarthy said during the CEAT Cricket Awards ceremony. 

Read More: [WATCH] 'Even if You Want Me to Bat at ...' - Sanju Samson opens up on his dedication to Indian T20I team ahead of Australia tour

Varun Chakravarthy played a crucial for India in Champions Trophy 2025

Behind the successful campaign in Champions Trophy 2025, the spinner played a pivotal role by taking 9 wickets in only three matches. Varun played his first match of the tournament against New Zealand during the group stage. In that game, he picked up a 5-for at the Dubai International Stadium. 

Varun Chakravarthy: I didn’t expect to be included in the Champions Trophy squad, but thanks to Rohit bhai and other people for believing in me. 🙌🏻

pic.twitter.com/yBCE1umHmR

— Rohan💫 (@rohann__45) October 8, 2025

The other two matches were more important for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner, as they were the semifinal and the final. India faced Australia and New Zealand, respectively, and Varun claimed a brace in each match. With those 9 wickets in 3 matches, he finished the tournament as the joint highest wicket-taker for team India. So far, in 4 ODIs, he took 10 wickets at an economy rate of 4.75. In T20Is, the Tamil Nadu-born has bagged 40 scalps in 24 matches at a brilliant economy rate of 6.89. 

India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, won the toss and decided to bowl first at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium during the final of the Asia Cup 2025. They didn’t have Hardik Pandya for the clash as he couldn’t recover in time.

Despite the 84-run opening stand between half-century Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan’s middle order didn’t get enough runs on the board. Apart from the top three, none of the batters got their scores into double figures.

See Also: [WATCH] Shaheen Afridi's brilliant catch sends back Shubman Gill during IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 final

In reply, India completed the successful chase by five wickets with two balls to spare. Tilak Verma remained unbeaten on 69 runs in 53 balls with the help of three fours and four sixes, while Shivam Dube grabbed 33 runs in 22 balls.

Know what Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson, and others said after winning Asia Cup 2025 final

Rinku Singh- Nothing else matters. This one ball matters. One was needed. I hit it for a four. Everyone knows I am a finisher. The team won, and I am thrilled.

Sanju Samson- Not played many Ind-Pakistan games, but the pressure was there. I had to use my experience, calm my nerves, watch the ball, and react. The game dictates what type of cricket you need to play. I was looking to time the ball, and that’s what helped me.

Shubman Gill: It was amazing, as for the whole tournament, we remained unbeaten. It feels amazing to be in the position. The conversation was to take the game as deep as possible. The target was not much, but it was important to soak up the pressure. Losing three wickets early is never easy. But the partnership with Sanju and Tilak, and the Dube hit those sixes, it was important.

Varun Chakravarthy- At the time, I was going for wickets, Fakhar and Farhan were going well. I had done some panning, but it worked out in a way. Kuldeep came in and finished it. That gave me memories of KKR winning. If you see the trend, in the first ten overs, everyone is going berserk.

Kuldeep Yadav- We, the spinners, are playing together, and it’s a luxury to have. Everyone had a different role. They started well. After 10-11 overs, they were 100-1. We knew if we could get a couple of wickets, then it was not going to be easy for the new batters to come in and score runs. Big thanks to Hari and a masterclass from Tilak.

Morne Morkel- Special performance by the boys tonight. The guys summed up the conditions with the ball. We wanted to get into a good mental space. It was about who would hold their nerve well.

In the Asia Cup 2025 Final, Pakistan openers Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman provided a strong start. But the Indian spinners brought the Men in Blues back in the game with superb bowling performances, as they picked up wickets in back-to-back overs. In the crucial 15th over, while the Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman seemed very dangerous, the leg-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy dismissed him bravely. 

Pakistan openers Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman put on an 84-run partnership for the first wicket, as Farhan was dismissed in the 10th over after another great half-century. Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy took that wicket, and later the Indian spinners dominated to bring an entire batting collapse of the Pakistan team.

Opener Fakhar Zaman started slowly, as Farhan was charging the Indian bowlers, which was likely a part of their game plan. But after that opening wicket fall, Fakhar didn't get any proper support from the other end, as the pressure was building up on him. 

WATCH: Axar Patel strikes as Mohammad Haris falls for a duck in Asia Cup 2025 Final IND vs PAK

Asia Cup 2025 Final, India vs Pakistan: Varun Chakaravarthy dismissed Fakhar Zaman just after a sixer

While Pakistan were losing under pressure in the middle overs, Fakhar tried his best. In the 15th over, he smashed a sixer to Varun Chakaravarthy. It was a full and wide delivery, which Fakhar smacked over the long on for an overboundary. On the very next ball, Varun delivered another wide delivery with a shorter length, and Fakhar once again went for that but couldn't control his stroke. The ball went to the backward point, and Kuldeep Yadav took that crucial catch to bring another crucial wicket for India. 

Fakhar scored 46 off 35 balls with two fours and two sixes, while Pakistan were suddenly down to 126/4 after once dominating at 113/1. It was another big wicket for India, as the Indian bowlers took full control of the game since then, as Pakistan were later bowled out for only 146 runs in 19.1 overs. 

Watch: Fakhar Zaman's dismissal video

Varun Chakaravarthy gets the big fish, Fakhar Zaman 💪🔥

Watch the Asia Cup Final LIVE NOW on the Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV.#SonySportsNetwork #DPWorldAsiaCup2025 #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/yVq19ttMJc

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 28, 2025

The Asia Cup 2025 Finals begun between India and Pakistan, with a brisk start from the openers for Pakistan. Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan started the innings on strong footing as both teams are trying to take the early initiative in a match that promises high drama between these two arch-rivals in Dubai.

At the 9.4-over mark, Varun Chakravarthy provided a significant breakthrough for India by getting rid of Sahibzada Farhan. Farhan had been aggressive from the outset and had made 57 runs off 38 balls with plenty of boundaries. He attempted to pull a googly pitched outside off, but got is wrong and was caught by Tilak Varma at deep mid-wicket, it ended an 84-run partnership. The wicket gave India a grip on the game ahead of the drinks break.

Farhan's attacking innings had built a really strong platform for Pakistan, but his dismissal was a key breakthrough and changed the momentum a little towards India. Saim Ayub was joined at the crease by Fakhar Zaman and opened his account with a single run. Fakhar continued to play the anchor role, while India hoped to capitalize on this important breakthrough.

Live Score Update:

Pakistan is at 113/1 after 12.4 overs, with Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub at the crease. The innings has started brightly for Pakistan, but India will be looking to use this breakthrough to get control of the run rate. The momentum of the match is still fairly even as both teams contest for the title in this high stakes final.

Watch the video here

🚨 WICKET!🚨

Sahibzada Farhan c Tilak Varma b Varun Chakravarthy for 57(38) [5x4, 3x6]!
He smashed a six earlier in the over but got out trying for another. Frustrated, he thuds the bat on the ground. Big moment!#Cricket #INDvsPAK #AsiaCup #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/R4XuybRyOo

— Asia Voice 🎤 (@Asianewss) September 28, 2025

See Also: Ravi Shastri Caught Up with Surya, Waqar in Talks with Salman Ali Agha in IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Final

Indian bowlers were frustrated with the dominant second wicket partnership for Sri Lanka, as the Lankans were seemed to be comfortably snatching the win in the dead rubber Super Fours match in the Asia Cup 2025. Finally, the Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy brought the crucial breakthrough for the Men in Blues by dismissing one of the dangerous batters, experienced Kusal Perera. 

Asia Cup 2025 (Super Fours), India vs Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera thrashed all Indian bowlers

Sri Lanka are chasing the 203-run target in the last game of the Super Fours in the Asia Cup 2025. Although India got an early wicket, as the opener Kusal Mendis was dismissed for a golden duck in the first over of the innings after Hardik Pandya took that wicket, another opener Pathum Nissanka and the no.3 batter Kusal Perera changed the atmosphere of the game with their powerful second-wicket partnership. These two Lankan batters spared none of the Indian bowlers.

In less than 12 overs of the second wicket partnership between Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera, they added 127 runs. It was the record T20I partnership for Sri Lanka for any wicket against India, while their previous record against India was the 109-run second wicket partnership between Kusal Perera and Upul Tharanga during the 2017 Indore T20I.

WATCH: Shoaib Akhtar makes funny stumble while talking about how Pakistan's best chance against India in Asia Cup 2025 Final

Varun Chakaravarthy broke the dangerous partnership

While Nissanka and Perera were both charging against the Indian bowlers, Kuldeep Yadav suddenly put a break in the 12th over, as the required run rate pressured the set Lankan partnership. It ultimately worked for the Indian team, as Varun Chakaravarthy produced the key wicket for India by dismissing Perera. Under pressure Perera went to attack the Indian spinner and came down the pitch, while the Lankan batter completely missed that ball, and the Indian keeper Sanju Samson comfortably stumped out Perera. Perera left the ground after scoring 58 runs off 32 balls with eight fours and one six, while Nissanka's presence still put the Lankan team in the upper hand in the game. 

Kusal Perera outfoxed and how! 🥵

Watch #INDvSL, Live now on the Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV. pic.twitter.com/IycRY0Kneu

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 26, 2025

It is the time for the last group stage match in the Asia Cup 2025, as India and Oman are taking on each other for the first time in international cricket. While the qualifications for the Super Fours have been confirmed, and India have almost confirmed finishing on top of the Group A points table, the Men in Blues have rested two players to add two pacers to the squad.

During the toss of the last game of the group stage at Abu Dhabi, while Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav chose to bat first, he confirmed two changes in the playing XI. While he named the right-arm pacer Harshit Rana's inclusion in the playing XI, he missed the name of the left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, which was known later. So, Indian right-arm fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy have been rested to open up the two pacers position in the playing XI.

[WATCH] 'Become like Rohit...'- Suryakumar Yadav forgets team changes during IND vs OMAN Asia Cup 2025 contest

Asia Cup 2025, India vs Oman: Why is Jasprit Bumrah not playing?

It was very much expected that Jasprit Bumrah would be rested for the last game of the group stage. Team India management is always looking at Bumrah's workload pressure, as the management doesn't want to put any unnecessary pressure on his body, while Bumrah has to maintain his fitness at a higher level. There is no injury news on Bumrah, which means that it is just a rest for the 31-year-old pacer, and he will be available for their first match in the Super Fours, which will be against Pakistan coming Sunday (September 21).

Asia Cup 2025, India vs Oman: Why is Varun Chakravarthy not playing?

Meanwhile, the 34-year-old Varun Chakravarthy has been rested to open up the second pacer's spot in the playing XI. The Abu Dhabi pitch has some lively grass, although the surface is dry. While this is a good pitch for batting, the blowing breeze helps to swing the ball, and there is not much for the spinners. As the Men in Blues want to provide some game times to the pacers, the leg-spinner also has to give up the spot for the match. Both players are likely to return to the playing XI in their first game in the Super Fours in the Asia Cup 2025. 

India’s mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, has become the new number one-ranked T20I bowler in the latest rankings of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He becomes just the third Indian bowler to top the ICC T20I bowling rankings, alongside Ravi Bishnoi and the premier pacer, Jasprit Bumrah. Varun has become a vital T20I member of the Blue Brigade in the last 12 months.

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner picked up 17 wickets in the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League at an average of 22.52 and an economy rate of 7.66, as he has crossed the 15-wicket mark in every season from 2020/21 apart from 2022. Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Thusara has jumped six ranks to reach the sixth spot in the table after speical show in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. 

See Also: Rohit Sharma ditched as Kieron Pollard picks his favorite captain in cricket

During the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 event, Chakravarthy picked up 1/3 during their opening clash against the United Arab Emirates before backing it up with an impressive haul of 1/24 in four overs against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy and the West Indies’ Akeal Hossein are in the second and third spots. 

Varun Chakravarthy becomes No. 1-ranked T20I bowler in latest ICC ranking

Pakistan’s duo Sufiyan Muqeem has risen four spots to the 11th rank, while the leg spinner, Abrar Ahmed, has gone up 11 places to the 16th spot. Their left-arm wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, has risen a whopping 16 rungs to the 23rd position in the table. Abhishek Sharma has held his number one spot for T20I batting with a new career-high rating.

England’s Phil Salt is in the second spot, and Jos Buttler is at the third spot, while South Africa’s duo Dewald Brevis has gone up two places to the 11th. Aiden Markram has got the 30th rank in the table. India’s premier all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, remains at the top of the T20I all-rounders’ rankings.

Latest ICC Rankings for T20I bowlers-

The Asia Cup 2025 is a unique challenge for Team India, captained by Suryakumar Yadav, and a familiar one at the same time. Following their victory in the T20 World Cup 2024, the Men in Blue are eager for their next significant trophy. With mounting tension and growing expectations, this tournament provides India a further opportunity to hone their array of strategies while fielding a few new combinations. In the UAE, with only three weeks to compete, there must be enough balance in the squad, batters and bowlers alike, to remain competitive.

The two venues, Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium (Abu Dhabi) and Dubai International Stadium have pushed towards batters and pacers in the last 12 months.  In 29 T20 games across three separate competitions, just 55% of wickets fell and the majority of matches resulted in high-scoring slug-fests. All the indicators suggest that bowlers will need to go hard to earn favorable outcomes and India's selection of the bowling attack will be critical. The balance between spin and pace will be critical to securing results in these run-favoured playing conditions.

See Also: India's squad selection for Asia Cup 2025 delayed in Mumbai for this reason

With T20 format tournament, this is the best chance for India to play with five bowler balanced attack. It would be best to have at least two frontline spinners in order to ensure control of the middle overs, and two all-rounders to deepen the batting order while having at least three specialist pacers in the XI allows them to adjust to different opponents in the tournament. There are a lot of ways that India could think and strategize this to ensure that the world champs are well prepared for the Asia Cup 2025 T20 tournament, which could have seven matches in three weeks!

Arshdeep Singh 

As a left-arm pacer, he has a rare ability to swing the new ball both ways, meaning he is especially dangerous against left-handers. His skills would take him into the death overs as well, and he is relentless in using a range of clever variations to deceive batters. This all-round skill gives him the ability to be effective at all stages of the T20 innings - a valuable asset to any team. 

He goes into the Asia Cup 2025 after an impressive IPL 2025 season with Punjab Kings which he distinguished himself as one of the most consistent performers. In his 17 matches, he took 21 wickets at an excellent economy of 8. He showed the ability to combine control and taking wickets. Interestingly, of the 240 wickets taken by bowlers at the Abu Dhabi and Dubai venues recently, 76 were taken by left-arm seamers. That should only help his confidence for the tournament.

Prasidh Krishna

Opting for Harshit Rana over a vastly improved T20 bowler like Prasidh Krishna could prove to be a questionable decision by the Indian team management. Krishna’s Purple Cap triumph in IPL 2025, where he picked up 25 wickets, was not a fluke. Instead, it showcased the transformation in his T20 game, where he displayed control and maturity that had previously been missing. His performances underline consistency rather than being a one-off success.

The Karnataka pacer has been remarkably disciplined with his lengths, frequently targeting the full and good-length areas across 15 matches this season. At the same time, he has cleverly used the short ball as a reliable stock option to keep batters guessing. What makes him even more effective is his sharp use of pace variations, a skill he has mastered over the past four months. This evolution has made Krishna one of the most dependable fast bowlers in India’s T20 setup.

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is a stands-alone player in the Indian national team when talking about match situations. His brilliance yet again shone in IPL 2025 in important moments, both bat and ball. Pandya took 14 wickets in 15 matches at 24 run average, meaning he was able to take wickets in the most important moments for his team. His dynamic game is still revolving around him being one of the best all-rounders in T20 cricket, and he continues game after game to be the most trusted.

As a bowler he understands high pressure match situations, and welcomes that responsibility of bowling in the most critical over of the match. Even when four boundaries on the trot is scored, he hurdle won't be shaken and control his mind and temperament, quickly resetting his game plan. This fearless and composed demeanor allows him to remain 'locked in' as much as he possibly can in the match scenario, and expects matters like the moment are good will, makes him an unstinting asset in India's plans ahead of important tournaments.

Varun Chakravarthy

Since his return to international cricket after a near four-year layoff, Varun's comeback has been nothing short of a fairytale, not only in terms of performance level, but also improvement in his bowling. Varun made an immediate impression by taking 14 wickets from five matches against England, followed by a further nine wickets at the Dubai International Stadium during Champions Trophy 2025. This turnaround came after having practiced his variety, something that he did not have the necessary accuracy for during the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. Varun is very evidently a bowler grown.

Despite a mixed IPL 2025 season with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Varun was still able to be impactful, claiming 17 wickets in 13 matches at an economy rate of 7.6, demonstrating consistency throughout. Varun's ability to deliver for both franchise and country shows how much he has come along as a bowler, and he clearly looks to be, once again, a vital cog in India's bowling line-up in limited overs cricket.

Axar Patel

India's T20I vice-captain may not have the most dazzling numbers on paper but has an incredible knack of coming to the fore at important times which makes him indispensable. His ability to break partnerships and create breakthroughs, when the team needs them most, has invariably turned games in India's favor. He remains one of the most dependable options in that format owing to his knowledge and ability to remain composed under pressure. 

Asia Cup 2025 could be the perfect tournament for Axar Patel to add to his inauspicious record in that format. The pitches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been particularly fruitful for left-arm spinners; in the last 29 games, there were 48 wickets taken by left-arm spinners- 60% of all spin dismissals-. However, the vast majority of these dismissals were a result of finger spinners who predominantly rely on drift rather than turn, which is Axar's biggest strength. The tournament opens up an ideal opportunity for him to enhance his record further.

Kuldeep Yadav

The dependable left-arm wrist-spinner has been an integral cog in India's bowling unit for many years, whilst continuing to provide valuable services in the T20 arena. His power of consistency and run management has proved an incredibly dependable option for the team in match defining moments, and even though conditions change, he has transitioned his game well  and proved effective in all phases.

While IPL 2025 was considered a quiet season in a relative sense by his high standards, he has still managed to take 15 wickets in 14 matches. Most importantly, his economy rate of 7.07 remained impressive given that he is able to restrict batters whilst still providing necessary breakthroughs; therefore, if the ability to both control and take wickets is the desired skill, he is a huge asset leading into the Asia Cup 2025.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced its 15-member squad for the upcoming 2025 Asia Cup season. The tournament will begin on September 9, with the Blue Brigade participating in the event against the United Arab Emirates on the following day. The most-anticipated clash will be against Pakistan on September 14 in Dubai. 

Suryakumar Yadav, after completing the fitness assessment, has returned to lead the side along with the premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the fifth and final Test of the away England trip during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 due to workload management, has also returned to the squad.

India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad

Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh

Let’s take a look at the three players who can be X-factor for India in Upcoming Asia Cup 2025

1. Suryakumar Yadav

In any event, the responsibility over any captain remains immense. That will be the same story with the Indian leader, Suryakumar Yadav. He didn’t enjoy their last T20I series against England at home with the bat, having managed just 28 runs in five innings at an average of under six and a strike rate of 116.66, thanks to the best score of 14.

See Also: [WATCH] Aakash Chopra explains inner details of hybrid pitch

However, his overall record in T20Is paints a different picture. The right-handed batter has clubbed 2598 runs in 79 innings at an average of 38.20 and a strike rate of 167.07, with the help of four centuries and 21 half-centuries at the best score of 117 runs.

During the recent 2025 season of the IPL, the 34-year-old drilled 717 runs for the Mumbai Indians in 16 innings at an average of 65.18. His strike rate of 167.91 was fabulous, scoring five half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 73 runs.

2. Hardik Pandya

The balance of the Indian side heavily leans on their premier all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, in the white-ball events. During the home England series earlier this year, he smashed 133 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 131.68 with the best score of 73* besides picking up five wickets at an economy rate of under nine.

The Baroda all-rounder has drilled overall 1812 runs in 90 T20I innings at an average of under 28 and a strike rate of 141.67, with five half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 71 runs. With the ball, he has picked up 94 wickets in 102 innings at an economy rate of 8.20.

During the 2025 season of the IPL, the veteran has smacked 224 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 163.50. The right-arm pacer also picked up 14 wickets in 14 innings at an average of 24.42 and an economy rate of under 10 for the Mumbai Indians.

3. Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravathy finished the home T20I series against England as the leading wicket-taker. The Tamil Nadu spinner was the leading wicket-taker with 14 scalps in five innings at an average of under 10 and an economy rate of 7.66. His four overs will be crucial, especially in the middle overs.

Chakravarthy continued the same rhythm during the 2025 season of the IPL. Out of his 100 wickets of the league, the right-arm spinner has bagged 17 scalps in the 2025 edition in 13 innings at an average of 22.52 and an economy rate of under eight.

Varun has the skills to pick wickets at any stage of the game, including the powerplay and death. His partnership with the ball, along with Kuldeep Yadav, will be essential for India to go for their title defense.