Team India's mystery spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, is absent from the playing XI for the third ODI against England on Wednesday, February 12, due to a suspected calf issue.

He made his ODI debut in the second match in Cuttack, where he registered figures of 1-54, including the dismissal of Phil Salt in his second over.

Chakravarthy impressed in the recent T20I series against England, taking 14 wickets in five matches. His performance earned him a spot in India’s final squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Though not in the initial squad, he was later added as a replacement for Yashasvi Jaiswal, strengthening his place in international cricket.

At the toss, Rohit Sharma confirmed that Chakravarthy did not recover well after the second ODI, resulting in his exclusion from the playing XI.

“These guys are new to the game and we want to keep the pressure away from them. We have made some changes. Jadeja and Shami have been rested. Varun did not pull up well unfortunately, he has got a sore calf. Kuldeep, Washi and Arshdeep come in,” Sharma said during the toss at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

England won the toss for the third consecutive time in the series. Unlike the first two matches, they have chosen to bowl first. With the series already lost 0-2, the visitors are now playing for pride in the final game.

India Unveils New Spin Attack Amid Absence of Chakravarthy and Jadeja