What’s exactly happening with Varun Chakaravarthy? In a sudden switch, the world’s top-ranked bowler has become a punching bag for batters. From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in a matter of days. Until February 21, Chakaravarthy was easily the best spinner in the T20 World Cup 2026. 9 wickets in just 12 overs. Those are stuff from the dreams.
What’s going with Varun Chakaravarthy?
From the Super 8 stage, it all changed. Of course, he’s faced tougher opposition. But it wasn’t as if Chakaravarthy hadn’t played them. In the last 6 months, he’d gone against Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. 19 wickets in 10 matches. That’s how he ended up.
Varun Chakaravarthy has struggled in his last four matches, managing just a single wicket in each game.#T20WorldCup2026 #IndianCricket #VarunChakaravarthy #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/NBvZ9rinh4
— InsideSport (@InsideSportIND) March 6, 2026So, what’s happened all of a sudden? Why has it been going at 11.62 runs per over since the Super 8 stage? One can understand a one-off game, but across venues and against all opposition, Chakaravarthy has been dispatched over the boundary. It’s got to a point where Shivam Dube is looking like a better option than him.
Varun Chakaravarthy stats in T20 World Cup 2026
InningsOversWicketsAverageEconomyUntil Group Stage41296.885.16Since Super 8416446.5011.62Ashwin decodes issues
Spin doctor Ravichandran Ashwin believes Chakaravarthy has lost his mystery. It’s clear that batters no longer have trouble picking the ball from his hand. It’s bound to happen for every spinner with whom the word ‘mystery’ is synonymous. He can’t afford to err anymore when it comes to line or length.
“What is happening with Varun is not that teams are attacking him or picking him. Everyone knows that Adil Rashid has a googly. This happens with every cricketer. But if this happens, you have to be tactical. You cannot miss the lengths. Line and length variations with speed variations are important. Varun has to be spoken to,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.
The legendary off-spinner identified the biggest issue that Chakaravarthy has dealing with: left-handed batters. South Africa’s David Miller scored 24 off 13 against him. The West Indies’ Shimron Hetmyer took him for 17 off 6. Lastly, England’s Jacob Bethell smashed him for 43 off 13. The pattern’s clear as day.
“Every time he gets attacked upfront, the confidence is going down further because he knows he is catching up. I am tired of saying this again and again. From the last few games, I am saying this. Do not bowl from round the wicket to the left-hander,” he added.
Ashwin explained that Chakaravarthy hasn’t bounced back because he hasn’t suffered a setback since his return to the Indian team in late 2024. It’s been a one-way street. He’s found nothing but success. But it doesn’t give him a pass. To prove he’s worthy to be called the best spinner in the world, Chakaravarthy has to bounce back.
“I used to bowl a lot of deliveries quickly. But if I felt I wanted a pause, I would take it. This is about awareness. The toughest thing is adapting and responding to tough situations. Every day will not be good, and bad days will keep coming. This blip is new to Varun. So for those who are around him, what conversations they have are also critical. It isn’t just about taking time, too; you have to see what delivery you want to bowl. This is a very valuable lesson for him. Till now, he has relied on people not picking him. From now on, he has to rely on the finer aspects of spin bowling. This is a challenge and a journey,” he concluded.
India's vice-captain Axar Patel revealed that the team has had conversations with Varun Chakaravarthy about staying mentally strong and sticking to his plans, even when things are not going his way.#T20WorldCup2026 #AxarPatel #VarunChakaravarthy #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/cPm2UDbtg9
— InsideSport (@InsideSportIND) March 6, 2026No speed or length issues
What Ashwin said was gospel. But that isn’t all. Chakaravarthy isn’t a traditional spinner. He doesn’t dupe batters with his guile. His pattern is pretty set. He bowls at short of good and back of length. The plan is to keep hitting the area around the top of the stumps and bowl the stump-to-stump line.
And that’s exactly what he’s doing. The issue is that batters aren’t troubled by it anymore. From what one can understand, there hasn’t been a dip in Chakaravarthy’s pace. Yet, the batters no longer have an issue with dealing with those nagging lengths. This is where Ashwin’s theory that players are able to read him from his hand comes in. Chakaravarthy isn’t a big spinner of the ball; perhaps now the batters are able to read which way the ball is going, and that’s making the difference.
Whatever the issue is, he isn’t unhittable anymore. Chakaravarthy has to crack the code. Will that be possible before the T20 World Cup final on March 8? Only time will tell.
Varun Chakarvarthy by length since Super 8
LengthBallsRunsWicketsAverageEconomyFull (under 3m)11––6.00Good (3-5m)1242––21.00Back of length (5-6m)2446223.0011.50Short (more than 6m)5997248.509.80Varun Chakaravarthy decoded? Has ‘mystery’ left the spinner before IND vs NZ final? Inside Sport India.
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