After whitewashing England in the three-match ODI series, in the post-match conference at Ahmedabad on February 12, Gautam Gambhir, India's head coach, has opened up about the inclusion of mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy in India’s squad for the Champions Trophy 2025. Varun Chakravarthy has been included in the Champions Trophy, replacing the young batter Yashasvi Jaiswal. After a 142-run dominating win, Gambhir addressed the media and explained the thought process behind the move. He emphasized that the decision was based purely on team balance and strategy. Gambhir stated, “The only reason was that we wanted another wicket-taking option in the middle (overs). And we know what Varun brings to the table. He can be a massive threat for a lot of teams who haven’t played him, and an X-factor as well." Varun Chakravarthy debuted in the ODIs on February 10, in the second ODI at Cuttack, replacing Kuldeep Yadav. However, he got benched due to injury and let Kuldeep play in the third ODI. Regarding Varun's inclusion in the main squad as the fifth spinner, Gambhir said that he won't ensure Varun's play since the start. But having a back up is always a safe option. Jaiswal’s exclusion was a tough call, but Gambhir assured that the youngster still has a bright future ahead. “We could only pick 15 players. Yashasvi is a brilliant talent, and this doesn’t change the fact that he is a key part of India’s future,” he said. Read also: CT 2025: India Skips Warm-Ups; Pakistan to Play Three Games India’s Bowling Strategy Without Bumrah Another major change in the squad was the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, who was ruled out due to a back injury. With Bumrah missing, India needed to strengthen its bowling attack, leading to Chakravarthy’s inclusion. When asked about the impact of Bumrah’s absence, Gambhir remained pragmatic. He said, “If he’s injured, he’s injured. There’s nothing we can do about it. We have other pacers like Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, and Harshit Rana. This is a chance for them to step up and deliver for the team.” Gambhir also highlighted that squad rotation was key in the recent ODI series against England, which saw different combinations being tried. He explained, “We wanted to give Yashasvi a go in the first game and see what he can bring to the table because he was in really good form in Australia. So we wanted to see what kind of innings he played. You can’t judge someone by one innings, but we always knew that Shreyas is going to be an important player for us. What he’s done at No. 4… whether at the (50-over) World Cup, he’s just an important player.”