Chakaravarthy is just the third Indian bowler to top the ICC T20I bowling rankings, after Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi.
After making a name for himself in T20Is following stellar performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Chakaravarthy recently cemented his place in India’s ODI squad.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner could not confirm that pace spearhead Matt Henry will be available for Sunday's Champions Trophy final but was confident they can tame India's mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy.
Australia captain Steve Smith says his team are confident they can counter India's quality spin attack in their Champions Trophy semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday.
Chakravarthy is considered a 'mystery spinner' for his bag of tricks that include off-break, leg-break, googly and the 'carrom ball' that he pushes with his knuckle.
The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy is set to begin on Wednesday with the Group A match between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi.
The rule, which was introduced to the tournament last season, allows teams to bring in one substitute at any time for a player in the starting 11.
The rule, which was introduced to the tournament last season, allows teams to bring in one substitute at any time for a player in the starting 11.
