Kevin Pietersen Praises India’s Decision to Include Varun Chakravarthy for ODI Series Against England
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has expressed his support for India’s decision to add Varun Chakravarthy to their squad for the upcoming ODI series against England. Pietersen acknowledged that although the England team faced challenges with Chakravarthy in the recent T20 matches, they might manage better in the one-day format.
Varun Chakravarthy delivered an outstanding performance during the 5-match T20I series, taking a remarkable 14 wickets and earning the title of Player of the Series. On February 4, he was seen training with the ODI squad, confirming his place in the lineup for the three-match series ahead.
Speaking at the launch event for Dram Bell Scotch Whisky, Pietersen shared his thoughts, saying, "The English batters will have more opportunities to face him in the one-day games. The longer format allows them to settle in and approach each ball more strategically." He added that he believes including Chakravarthy was a smart choice by the Indian team.
India’s ODI Squad Against England
The lineup for India includes: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, and Varun Chakravarthy.
T20 Series Reflections
Pietersen also reflected on the recent T20 series, which India won 4-1. He remarked that the series was disappointing for England, particularly due to a concussion substitution issue during the fourth T20I, where Harshit Rana replaced injured Shivam Dube.
He speculated that if the substitution had been handled properly, the series could have been tied at 2-2 as they headed to Mumbai. "It would have made the final game much more competitive," he noted, expressing that the missed opportunity affected England’s chances.
The first ODI between India and England is set to take place in Nagpur on February 6.
