"Should also come into Test cricket" - Monty Panesar's stunning statement on Team India star post IND vs SA 2025 T20Is

Former England cricketer Monty Panesar has opined that India’s mystery spinner, Varun Chakaravarthy, should play Test cricket. The 34-year-old was last seen in action in the recently concluded five-match T20I series against South Africa, which India won 3-1. Chakaravarthy emerged as the player of the series after taking 10 wickets in four matches.

On Monday, December 22, during an interview with KADAK, Panesar asserted that the Tamil Nadu spinner should be included in India’s red-ball team, saying:

“Varun Chakaravarthy should maybe come into Test cricket because right now he is not a match-winning spinner. And I think Varun Chakaravarthy should play Test cricket. I think he can become a match-winning spinner.” “So this may be one more thing that Gautam Gambhir might also be thinking, that maybe we want to push Varun Chakaravarthy forward, because Chahal used to bowl good leg-spin, but I think he is not as much of a match-winning bowler as Varun Chakaravarthy. So in my view, Varun Chakaravarthy should also come into Test cricket,” he added.

Chakaravarthy has played only one first-class match in his career, which came in 2018 for Tamil Nadu against Hyderabad, where he recorded figures of 1/105 from 39 overs.

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“He can also push someone like Kishan” - Monty Panesar on India’s opening pair for the 2026 T20 World Cup

In the same interaction, Monty Panesar was asked about India’s probable opening pair for the 2026 T20 World Cup, with Shubman Gill excluded. He noted that head coach Gautam Gambhir has options and could pair Ishan Kishan alongside Abhishek Sharma. He said:

“When we talk about left-right combinations, Gautam Gambhir has options. So he can also push someone like Kishan ahead. And height also matters. Abhishek Sharma is a bit tall, while Ishan Kishan is slightly shorter, which makes it harder for bowlers to get their line right. Sanju Samson can also bat well. So these are the options India has. But the team is very strong. When we look at the T20 squad, it is a very strong squad.”

The 2026 T20 World Cup, set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will take place from February 7 to March 8.

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Edited by Dev Sharma