India's Champions Trophy winner admits his bowling style not ideal for Test Cricket

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India's mystery spinner and star performer of the Champions Trophy 2025, Varun Chakaravarthy, has expressed his interest in Test cricket while also acknowledging the limitations that prevent him from excelling in the longest format of the game.

Varun played a pivotal role in India's triumph at the ICC Champions Trophy, helping the Men in Blue secure their first 50-over ICC title in 12 years. India clinched the trophy with a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the final held in Dubai earlier this month.

"I do (have an interest in Test cricket), but my bowling style doesn't suit Test cricket," Varun said while speaking on a podcast with Gobinath on his YouTube channel.

"Mine is almost like medium pace. In Test cricket, you've to continuously bowl 20-30 overs. I can't do that in my bowling. Since I bowl quick, the maximum I can bowl is 10-15 overs which is not suited for red ball. I am focusing on 20-overs and 50-overs white ball cricket for now," he added.

The Tamil Nadu spinner also reflected on his transition from pace to spin bowling, asserting that he has no regrets about the switch. Varun initially started his cricketing journey as a wicketkeeper before shifting to fast bowling during his college days. However, an injury prompted him to take up spin bowling, which eventually played a big part in the growth of his career.

On being asked whether he regrets leaving pace bowling, Varun stated: "No. That's why I am here. I would've been stuck there had I bowled pace. There are so many pacers. Also, it doesn't swing in Tamil Nadu wickets. They are spin-friendly wickets. So you can't see many fast bowlers from Tamil Nadu. It is very rare. There is Balaji and Natarajan but there are many pacers in other states. I am happy that I left fast bowling. Even (Ravichandran) Ashwin became a spinner after leaving fast bowling. So I am happy."

Varun's remarkable performance in the Champions Trophy 2025 has further cemented his place in India's white-ball setup, but now the bowler's focus shifts to the IPL. Varun represented Kolkata Knight Riders and was part of their title-winning team last season.