New Zealand coach Gary Stead has identified Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy as a significant threat ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final.
With India's matches relocated to Dubai due to safety concerns, the upcoming final will see India face New Zealand on March 9th. India's strong performance, including a victory over New Zealand in the group stage, has been bolstered by the inclusion of Chakravarthy, who has taken seven wickets in two matches.
Chakravarthy's standout performance, a five-wicket haul against New Zealand, has made him a key concern for the opposition. Coach Gary Stead acknowledged Chakravarthy's threat in a pre-match press conference. "So, look, we certainly expect him to play after getting 5 for 42 against us in the last game," Stead stated. "And yeah, we'll be planning our, I guess, intentions around that as well. There's no doubt he's a class bowler. He obviously showed his skills against us last time and he's a big, big threat in the game. So, we'll be putting our thinking caps on how we nullify that and how we can still score runs against him."
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Stead emphasized the challenge of facing a wrist spinner like Chakravarthy, noting, "I think when you have a wrist spinner like that, then you're looking for cues as a batsman. And I think it's always a little bit easier when you're in the daylight to see those things."
He also highlighted the importance of strategic planning and communication among his batsmen. "All our batsmen will have their individual plans around how they want to combat them, and then it comes down to, I think, good communications in the middle and sometimes a little bit of bravery to take those options on. So, we're certainly up for that. We're up for that challenge of what India will bring, and we know that they've got four very capable spinners," Stead added.
Chakravarthy's impressive form has solidified his role as a crucial asset for India, and his performance in the final will be closely watched. His success also bodes well for the Kolkata Knight Riders, who have retained him for IPL 2025, starting March 22nd.
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