Varun Chakaravarthy made his ODI debut for India in the second One Day International against England at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha. The 33-year-old star received his maiden ODI cap from Ravindra Jadeja before the toss. The Tamil Nadu spinner replaced Kuldeep Yadav in India's playing XI for the second match of the three-match white ball series.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took their 'X' formerly known as Twitter to share a video where Jadeja was giving ODI No. 259 to Chakaravarthy. Jadeja also praised his performances in T20Is and said it’s time for him to do something really special in ODIs.
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“Varun, cap number 259. It’s a special day for you and your family. From tennis ball cricket to T20 cricket, we all have seen your magic. Now it’s time to do something, something really special in this format. And we all are with you. Just give your 100% and good luck," Jadeja said.
Chakaravarthy acknowledged his teammate’s gesture and said, “It feels very good because it’s been a long journey from my 2021 T20 debut. And I’ve got this breakthrough now. And it’s come after playing a lot of domestic Vijay Hazare. So, I will definitely cherish it and value it."
Chakaravarthy came to bowl during the ninth over and on the fifth ball of his second over of the match he picked up his maiden ODI wicket. He picked up England wicketkeeper batter Phil Salt's (26 runs from 29 balls) wicket as he tried to play a big shot against him but failed to connect with the ball properly, and it went straight up. It was Jadeja who picked easy catch that helped Varun to get his maiden ODI wicket.