Ravichandran Ashwin believes that teams will have to stop both Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy if they want to stop India from winning next year’s T20 World Cup. The veteran all-rounder said India have a strong squad capable of defending their title under head coach Gautam Gambhir. India were crowned T20 World Cup 2024 champions under Rohit Sharma’s leadership.
On his YouTube channel, Ashwin said, “If any team wants to win the T20 World Cup in India, they will have to master two factors. I was saying until now that handling Jasprit Bumrah. But I will say right now, the way I have seen Tim David handle Varun Chakravarthy, I am thinking teams will gun for Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy if they have to get past India.”
Abhishek finished the recent five-match T20I series in Australia with 163 runs in five innings at an average of 40.75 and a strike rate of 161.38. Meanwhile, Varun Chakravarthy was the second-highest wicket-taker of the series and the highest for India, with five wickets at an economy rate of 6.83.
Ashwin observed that Australian bowlers avoided Abhishek’s strong zones during the T20I series, and he pointed out how Tim David took on Varun Chakravarthy in the third T20I at Hobart. “Against Abhishek Sharma, they will see this plan Australia has used against him in this series, and they will imbibe that. Whoever is coming for the World Cup will prepare similarly against Varun Chakravarthy because that will give them the leverage in that World Cup,” Ashwin said.
India clinched the T20I series 2-1 after rain washed out the fifth and final match at the Gabba.
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