"It's right time to unleash ...": says Ravi Shastri

Former players praised Varun Chakravarthy for his stunning bowling display in the Champions Trophy 2025 match against New Zealand Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri feels that it is the right time to unleash Chakravarthy in the Champions Trophy 2025 match against AustraliaIn the Champions Trophy 2025 match against New Zealand Varun Chakravarthy claimed five wickets for 42 runs to help India seal the semifinal berthVery impressed with him Chakravarthy and full marks to the think tank and the team management for making the right choice because hes someone who will get you wickets in the middle oversIts the right time to unleash him They brought him into the side hes got a fivewicket haul and I think hes there to stay former head coach Ravi Shastri said in an ICC video posted on InstagramIf you see his current form and I always believe in current form its vital and when you look at his body language his selfconfidence and his own ability and when you look at oppositions like New Zealand Australia South Africa that are left in this tournament not many sides have played too much of him or seen enough of himTeam India entered the clash against New Zealand with four spinners and Ravi Shastri feels that the same playing XI should be played against Australia as wellI think I would go with the same eleven now because the turnaround time is less than 48 hours The square is a little tired at the moment people have run on the pitch that is going to be used the day after so the spinners will again come into play said ShastriAlso ReadChampions Trophy 2025 Matt Short to be replaced by this rising star in the eventVarun Chakravarty who came into the XI after Harshit Rana was rested for the clash against New Zealand grabbed the opportunity with both handsFormer India legspinner Kumble hailed the exceptional Varun and seconded Ravi Shastris thought of fielding the same XII think Varun has been exceptional in the last 115 years consistently winning matches for whichever team he has played for whether its Tamil Nadu or KKR or for India in T20Is Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo Match DayAnd now today getting an opportunity in ODIs because obviously India had already qualified But going by the pitch and the conditions perhaps for the semifinal and hopefully for India the final this certainly augurs wellAnd if this is the kind of pitch India will continue to play on in Dubai then this fourpronged spin attack would be really a challenge for any team Australia would find it extremely difficult to maneuver these four spinnersFormer India player Ambati Rayudu also praised Varun Chakravarthy for his exploits against New ZealandVarun was great today Early in his career he wasnt very consistent with his lines and lengths But now his bowling makes him a very difficult bowler to face he told JioHotstarHis action naturally makes it look like hes delivering leftarm spin but 90 percent of his deliveries are googlies making it tough for batsmen who havent faced him beforeI dont think many New Zealand batsmen have played against him much and he will only continue to improve for IndiaRayudu said Chakravarthys sensational show created a selection dilemma ahead of the semifinalIndia will have a tough time deciding with so many big players to choose from but Varun Chakravarthy has been brilliantWeve seen his impact in India and all the spinners were outstanding today Jadeja was amazing and all four spinners bowled exceptionally well he saidThe pitch definitely assisted them but New Zealands batsmen also struggled against spin which is an area they will need to improveWith PTI Inputs