Varun Chakravarthy Names Best T20 XI, No Place for Kohli, and Rohit
Varun Chakravarthy names dream T20 XI; no place for Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli in star-packed lineup
Team India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy has picked his dream T20 XI, and there are a few surprising omissions. While many fans expected to see names like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the lineup, both legends were left out.
Varun made this team in a fun chat with senior spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. The only condition was that he could pick only those players he has shared the field with in a match or a tournament.
No Place for Kohli and Rohit
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from T20 Internationals after helping India lift the T20 World Cup in 2024. Kohli also played a major role in RCB’s maiden IPL title this year.
Rohit, on the other hand, had a decent IPL 2025 season with Mumbai Indians, who reached Qualifier 2 but lost to Punjab Kings. Despite their contributions, Varun decided to go with other names in his dream team.
Star-Studded Lineup
Varun picked Jos Buttler and Travis Head as openers. Both have been match-winners in white-ball cricket and are known for their explosive batting. At number 3, he placed India’s current T20 captain, Suryakumar Yadav, who is famous for his 360-degree shots.
Nicholas Pooran and Heinrich Klaasen were named in the middle-order. Pooran, who recently retired from international cricket, has been in top form in franchise leagues. Klaasen brings power and stability and is the designated wicketkeeper in the XI.
In the all-rounders’ slot, Varun included three big names, Hardik Pandya, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine. All three can change the game with either bat or ball. Rashid Khan was chosen as the main spinner in the side.
For fast bowlers, Varun picked India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and Sri Lanka’s rising star Matheesha Pathirana, who impressed everyone in the IPL.
Varun Chakravarthy’s Dream T20 XI
- Openers: Jos Buttler, Travis Head
- Middle-order: Suryakumar Yadav, Nicholas Pooran, Heinrich Klaasen (wk)
- All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine
- Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Matheesha Pathirana
